


Small Town Frights

by StormsThing1



Series: Adventures of Maude and Kenna [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Angst, Demon Summoning, Gore, Just to be safe, Not too much, Reincarnation, enough for character growth, i don't think it's like super bad but adding it to the tags, it might get a little bloody, it will probably get a little bloody, wat is tagging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2018-10-19 12:04:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10639491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormsThing1/pseuds/StormsThing1
Summary: Maude gets called out to the middle of nowhere to investigate a routine case--but there is nothing routine about it.





	1. The Call

“A murder-suicide?” asked Maude, looking at the case file that had been slipped into her hand. “Not to argue, sir, but isn't this a matter for a different department? Like, the local police?”

 

“Well, if you'd look past the cover page...” the man—Agent Macintosh—began. “You'd see that extremely high amounts of demonic energy was found at the scene.”

 

Maude blushed an flipped the page. “How much energy are we talkin' here?” the second page of the file was mainly pictures of the crime scene, with in-depth descriptions of where the bodies had been found, and what positions they were in. The next page was pictures of the home, and specifically the room the bodies were found in.

 

“Well, we don't exactly know.” said Macintosh, and Maude raised an eyebrow.

 

The third page of the file was of demagi-counters, basically Geiger counters for demonic energy, positioned in various places in the home where the crime seen was committed. Often times, it was very beneficial to see the location of the energy detector rather than just get the reading.

 

On the screen it didn't give a reading. It just said 'MAX'.

 

“It maxed out the demagi-counters?” Maude asked, squinting to make sure she was seeing this right.

 

“It did.”

 

“Those max out at, like, a million, right?”

 

“Ten million.” said Macintosh.

 

“This exceeds _ten million_?” Maude asked. A normal demon summing of a mid-level demon usually maxed out at three thousand. This was more than _ten million_. “And there were no signs of occult paraphernalia, no summoning circles, plain wax candles?”

 

“They didn't even have the demonology textbooks used in high schools.” said Macintosh. “And as for candles, they only had cinnamon-scented candles, and the wicks had never been burnt.”

 

Maude just hummed, skimming through the information for herself. “I assume I'll be wanted on-site for this?” she flipped back to the front of the packet. The house was located in New York state. A case this big would probably last a few weeks, man that would be fun in the most sarcastic way possible.

 

“You will.” Macintosh said. “All the pertinent information has been sent to your work account, your travel plans, and the team you'll be heading, as well as a copy of this file.” he smiled wryly. “Why the boss insists I still give out physical copies of case files, I'll never understand.”

 

Maude nodded and pulled her pager out of her pocket, sure enough she had four new messages.

 

“Oh, and spoiler alert, your flight leaves tomorrow, so I suggest you leave now to get packed.” Macintosh said, smiling.

 

“Understood, Sir.” she said, turning to take her leave. “Will you be coming as well?” she asked as an afterthought.

 

“No, I'm needed here.” he said, “Besides, demonology isn't really my field.”

 

“Of course.” Maude said, leaving and shutting the office door behind her. She left for the barracks, scanning her ID card on her way out, reading the message that dictated her team.

 

She would be in charge, of course, because of her high degree of knowledge and experience, though most of the members on her team were older than her. Though, she was thrilled to see that Kenna would be on the Nerd Squad for this mission.

 

This mission was taking her to a small town in northern New York state. They would be flying into the Newark airport, before driving three hours to get to their hotel, and all in all they would arrive at four in the afternoon that day. The actual investigation wouldn't begin until the next day.

 

Maude scanned the lock into her dorm, pulling the sliding door open and shouting, “I'm home!” even though she didn't expect anyone to be back for a while.

 

“Welcome back!” called another voice. “I'm in my room!”

 

“Kenna?” Maude said, stalking to her friend's room. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Boss gave me the day off so I could pack for the trip tomorrow.” said Kenna. “You know about that, right?”

 

“Sure did.” Maude said. “I just imagined the mission head would get the info before you, though.” she joked.

 

“Technically, I'm leader of the Nerd Squad for this.” said Kenna. “But yeah, the reason I was told early was so I'd have more time to pack due to my 'disability'.” she waved her hand in the air. “So that was kinda mean, but hey, paid time off is paid time off, am I right?”

 

“You're evil.” said Maude.

 

“Hey, the man offered me the time off, I didn't ask for it.” said Kenna. “Though, I am glad for the extra time to think. I'm trying to figure out what exactly to bring.” she had a wide array of different machines on her desk.

 

“Um, one that detects demons?” Maude suggested.

 

“Right.” Kenna laughed. “Alright, you're just distracting me, go do your own packing.” Kenna stood up from her desk chair, playfully pushing Maude out the door.

 

“Okay, okay, you didn't have to push me.” Maude laughed, holding her hands up. 

 

“Yes I did, you would have taken forever to get out if I didn't.” Kenna argued. She reached up and tugged on Maude's curly hair. “Now go pack, Ms. Leader Lady.”

 

“Of course, Doc.” Maude waved her hand, and walked to her door one room down.

 

She didn't want to pack too heavy for this trip, despite it being one with an indefinite stay. She picked her green carry-on bag, and stuffed it full of clothes, packing a week's worth of civilian clothes, two extra uniforms and her dress uniform, filling the rest of the open space with pajamas and toiletries. 

 

Then was her big suitcase, with tape wrapped around the sides labeling it as part of the NMII Demonology Department—basically telling the TSI not to worry about any items they found in the bag. That was where she packed most of the gear that she couldn't take on the plane with her, items like her gun, old dusty tomes, and other weaponry that she needed. By the time she was done with it, it was easily forty pounds.

 

Her last bag was a simple backpack she took on the plane with her, it carried her electronics, ID, and stuff like that.

 

“I'm done packing.” she said, walking back into Kenna's room. “And now I'm bored, so I'm gonna harass you, okay?”

 

“Of course, Maude.” Kenna rolled her eyes, hands drifting over her equipment. Her desk had barely any devices left on it, most of them unstable prototypes and duplicates. “I think I've packed all the electronics I need. Now I just need to pack my clothes.”

 

Kenna stood from her chair and drifted to her bed, grabbing her own NMII issued bag, this one with a label saying it was from the lab analysis department. “Help me zip it?” she asked, looking in Maude's direction.

 

“Sure.” Maude joined her at the bed, helping hold down the suitcase with Kenna pulled the zipper, at the end pressing the button that activated the closing ward, which would keep the bag closed unless authorized personnel tried to open it.

 

“Dang girl, how much stuff do you think you're gonna need?” Maude asked, pulling a few stray hairs out of her face.

 

“This is a  _major_ case, Maude.” said Kenna, pulling the bag off her bed and onto the floor. “You saw what the demagi-counters said, right? The energy there maxed out the machines at over ten million points! This is huge.”

 

“I know, and it warms all the cockles of your little nerd heart.” Maude said smiling. “But seriously, I'm excited too, I mean, I'm getting trusted with this big a case.”

 

Kenna just smiled and nodded, hand drifting to grab her own carry-on bag to fill with clothes. Mostly she put pajamas and her NMII normal and dress uniforms in the bag, before gently adding her sensor suit charging station to the bag. She filled the remaining space with some toiletries, but left some open space as her sensor suit wouldn't be allowed on the plane.

 

Her backpack was also filled with things to keep her entertained on the plane, some books and a tablet.

 

“It's my turn to cook dinner, right?” Maude asked as Kenna piled her suitcases at the door to her room.

 

“Um, it's Wednesday, right? So yeah.” Kenna said.

 

“Hm.” Maude paused in thought. “How do fish tacos sound to you?”

 

“Fine.” said Kenna. “I'm turning on the news.” she said, and went to sit on the couch.

 

“Oh! Play channel fourteen, I heard they're doing some sort of special tonight. It's something to do with before the Transcendence?” Maude said, heading into the kitchen.

 

“Okay,” Kenna said, settling into the cushions. “TV, turn to channel fourteen.” she commanded, pressing the control button on the armrest. 

 

The TV turned on, and sure enough channel fourteen was having a special on myths before and after the Transcendence, and how there was proof that some time in the distant past there had been a sort of reverse-Transcendence.

 

“This is neat.” Kenna murmured absentmindedly.

 

Maude set to frying the fish in a pan, also listening to the story, nodding along as the vaguely British-sounding woman spoke. When she was sure the fish would cook without her supervision, she switched to the hot plate to cook some pre-made tortilla dough.

 

As she was turning off the heat to the fish, and pulling off the last of the tortillas she was going to make, the door slid open again.

 

“I'm home,” called Tyrone as he stepped in.

 

“Hey,” said Kenna, her attention still entirely on the TV program.

 

“We're having fish tacos for dinner.” said Maude. “Get in here and help me finish taking sauces out of the fridge. 

 

Ty did as he was told, joining Maude in the kitchen and helping her pull guacamole and pico de gallo from the fridge while Maude was struggling to pull out a vat of sour cream.

 

“Kenna, you can come in now, food's ready.” called Maude.

 

“Sure.” she said, attention still on the TV. Maude rolled her eyes, grabbed the remote off the counter, and turned the TV off.

 

“Come eat food, you malnourished nerd.”

 

“I'm not malnourished.” Kenna defended, standing up from the couch and stretching before walking to the kitchen.

 

“Only because I force you to eat at least once a day.” Maude teased, lightly slapping Kenna on the back of the head.

 

“Probably.” Maude agreed. “Hey! Ty! Stop hogging all the meat!” she shouted when she noticed Tyrone was shoveling all the fish chunks onto his own plate. “And get some vegetables, you literal child.”

 

“Caught.” he groaned, putting about half of his fish back and shoveling some lettuce onto his tacos.

 

“What would you two do without me?” Maude wondered, grabbing her own plate and beginning to make her own tacos.

 

“Probably starve.” said Kenna.

 

“Or burn the house down.” Added Tyrone.

 

“Honestly.” Maude scoffed as she brushed past Kenna to dump an obscene amount of lemon juice on her tacos. 

 

In the end, Kenna's tacos were the only ones that looked vaguely normal, having a decent amount of fish lined with guacamole and pico de gallo, while Ty's had a ridiculous amount of meat and a smattering of lettuce and sour cream, and Maude's were just fish and lemon juice.

 

“Oh, so we're going to be going on a business trip.” Maude said while she was eating around the table. “There's a huge amount of demonic activity in northern New York state, we're checking it out. Watch the house while we're gone.”

 

“You kidding?” Kenna asked. “Have you met Ty? He's going to hunt us down and join us on the trip anyways.”

 

“That's true.” Ty said, a chunk of food falling out of his mouth.

 

“At least let me pretend?” Maude groaned, taking another bite of her taco, wincing at the sourness. “Really, I don't mind. But I think the bosses are starting to get irritated that you pop up everywhere we go.”

 

Kenna nodded. “Honestly I'm surprised they let you live here.”

 

“It's only because he doesn't pay anything towards the apartment, his name's not on the paperwork.” Maude said.

 

“Little bit less than legal.” Kenna nodded.

 

“I am offended that you two would accuse me of illicit activities!” Tyrone exclaimed, dramatically placing his hand on his chest. “And I call you my friends.”

 

“Can it, Dorkus.” Maude laughed, leaning over to slap him across the table.

 

“I'm being attacked!” Ty shouted, holding up his arms in front of his face.

 

“I'll show you attacked!” Maude shouted back, and stood up from her chair to get at Ty better.

 

“Not at the dinner table.” Kenna said calmly, pulling her plate closer to her and out of the line of fire.

 

“Of course Kenna dear!” Maude said, and sat back down. She held up 'watching you' fingers to Ty, and he playfully returned the gesture.

 

Kenna rolled her eyes, and quickly finished her taco. “I'm gonna head to bed early, travel day tomorrow.” she stood up and began walking away. “G'night.”

 

“Good night!” Maude called back. “I should probably go to bed soon too.” she said, shoving the rest of her taco in her mouth. Once she finished, she stood up.

 

“Good night.” said Ty around a mouthful of taco.

 

“Sweet dreams.” Maude said back, smirking before walking to her room.

 

As she walked down the hall, she noticed a bit of movement in Kenna's room. She had changed into her pajamas and pulled her carry-on bag back onto her bed and was wrestling with it, struggling to shove her sensor suit in.

 

“Do you need help?” Maude asked, leaning her head in he door.

 

Kenna jumped slightly, and spun to look at Maude. “That would be nice, thanks. I thought I left enough space for my suit, but it's not working.”

 

Maude jumped onto Kenna's bed, looking into the suitcase for herself. “If you flatten your pajamas and shove them in the side behind the charger, your suit should fit.” she suggested.

 

“Let's see.” Kenna muttered, and grabbed her rolled up pajamas, before doing as Maude suggested and shoving them behind the charger. She tried again to put her suit in, gently so that none of the sensor pads could be damaged, and found that it fit, but just barely. “It works, thanks Maude. Can you help me zip it?”

 

“Of course!” Maude said, and laid down on the top of the suitcase while Kenna pulled the zipper.

 

“Thanks.” said Kenna.

 

“No problem.” Maude said, “Good night, hugs.” she leaned across the bed and pulled Kenna into a bear hug.

 

“Maude! You're suffocating me! Get off!” Kenna squealing, squirming in Maude's arms. “Go to your own room.”

 

“Alright.” Said Maude. “See you bright and early tomorrow to get on the plane.”

 

Kenna just groaned. “Don't remind me, just get out of here.”

 

“Of course dear!” Maude said, walking out of Kenna's room and going to her own room. Unlike Kenna, she didn't have any last minute packing to do, so she just changed into pajamas and went to bed.

 

* * *

 

 

“Maude, did you forget set your alarm?” Kenna asked, shaking Maude's shoulders.

 

“Huh, what?” asked Maude, sitting up in bed. “What time is it?”

 

“I'll take that as a yes?” said Kenna. “It's eight-thirty, Maude. You need to get dressed like now, we're gonna be late.”

 

Maude groaned and rolled out of bed, dragging her covers onto the floor with her. “Okay. Give me a minute.”

 

“And we're not gonna be able to eat at the house. We'll have to pick something up at the airport.”

 

“Got it.” Maude said, and ushered Kenna out of her room. She got dressed in simple travel-day clothes, lose black pants and a baggy green shirt that reached her upper thighs. She put on her backpack, and grabbed her roll-along bags and began to tug her way out of her room.

 

Kenna was sitting on the couch, waiting for Maude to be ready. She, like Maude, was dressed for comfort, wearing loose blue pants and a red shirt—Maude didn't have the heart to tell her the colors looked horrendous. 

 

Her head popped up when she heard Maude struggle with her bags on the carpeting. “Great, we can leave now.” she said, standing up and making her way to the door. She had her retractable red-white cane strapped to her wrist, but she wasn't using it. Kenna hovered next to the door, waiting for Maude to catch up and put her shoes on.

 

“Wait, Kenna!” Maude said last minute as Kenna opened the door. “It's cold in New York! You need a coat!”

 

Kenna groaned. “No, Maude, I really don't.” she began to argue, but Maude had already grabbed both her own and Kenna's coats off the rack and shoved them into her backpack.

 

“Don't be silly!” Maude said. “And hey, at least you'll have it! Just in case.”

 

Kenna rolled her eyes, but didn't argue the point any further. She turned to walk towards the elevators, vaguely listening to Maude make a huge show out of yelling farewells to Tyrone, even though he wasn't awake yet.

 

There was a taxi waiting for them in front of the building—Kenna had called one last night because she didn't like the idea of Maude trying to drive before ten in the morning. She could hear Maude's suitcases scraping along behind her.

 

“Kenna! Don't leave me behind!” she whined, coming to a stop next to Kenna.

 

“Wouldn't dream of it.” said Kenna.

 

“You two going to the airport?” the taxi driver asked, getting out of his car.

 

“Yes,” both Kenna and Maude said at the same time. The man popped open the trunk, and got out to help Maude fit all the bags in the trunk.

 

“Lots of luggage for two little girls, huh?” said the driver as they finally found a way to get everything to fit in the small trunk.

 

“Need lots of weapons for this trip.” Maude casually said, and the driver let the topic drop.

 

Maude and Kenna both rode in the back for the fairly short ride to the airport—the NMII office and barracks were strategically positioned in the middle of the airport and the hospital. The driver made small talk with them, talking about how long he's been driving, where he'd worked before, weird people he's seen on the streets. Honestly, none of it mattered to Kenna, who was listening to a podcast, but Maude was loving it.

 

“What do you mean you witnessed an exorcism on a street corner in down town?” Maude asked as they pulled into the drive way at the airport.

 

“Well—okay, so at the time I was living in downtown New York City, absolutely insane place, alright? I was stopped at a red light, and there was one of those people with a microphone and a big sign declaring it was the end of our days, all that jazz, and a man in a like, costume or something. I didn't understand it, and the dude was clearly all human, so not even a preter. And this guy, with his big sign and mic, just kept yelling for demons to 'leave this man in peace!'” the driver laughed. “It was insane! I sat through a couple of greens just to keep watching! I have a picture!”

 

“Oh!” Maude said. “Can I see it?”

 

“Yeah, sure, just lemme get parked. What airline are you two on again?”

 

“Oh, um...” Maude floundered for a bit, before poking Kenna to get her attention. “What's our airline?”

 

“National Airways.” Kenna said, pausing her podcast. “Are we there?”

 

“Not yet,” said the driver, right as he pulled up to the curb for their airline. “Now we are. Anyways, here's that picture I was talking about.”

 

It was exactly the scene the driver had been describing, except Maude noticed one thing.

 

“That's hilarious!” she said, and grabbed her own phone to take a picture off of the man's screen. “Thanks for showing me!”

 

“No problem! Here, I'll help you get your things out of the back.” said the driver as he got out of the car.

 

“Thanks,” Maude said. “Kenna, be careful, you're opening your door into traffic.”

 

“Okay,” Kenna said, rolling down her window so she could listen for approaching vehicles. Hearing none, she opened her door and stepped out, trailing her hand along the car as she walked to the trunk.

 

Maude had already gotten their bags out of the trunk, and was paying and tipping the driver when she got there.

 

“Here are your bags.” Maude said, pushing a few things toward Kenna, “And your backpack.” This one she put into Kenna's hand.

 

“Thanks,” said Kenna, grabbing her things.

 

Maude and Kenna walked onto the sidewalk, and the taxi drove away.

 

“So,” Maude started. “I thought the man in the picture the driver showed us looked familiar. I ran a facial recognition program on my phone. They're the same person.”

 

“Which man in the picture?” Kenna said.

 

“The one doing the exorcism, not the one being exorcised.”

 

“Hm,” Kenna said. “Think that could be his motive?”

 

“Well yeah, obviously he's crazy and paranoid. Though, that doesn't explain the amounts of demonic energy.” Maude said, gently pulling Kenna into the correct check-in line.

 

“You'd think someone that scared would be constantly purifying the air around them, almost compulsively.” Kenna said.

 

They were only second in line, a combination of the company paying for employees to fly business class, and Kenna's blindness. It didn't take long for a teller to open up for them, greeting them with a smile.

 

Checking in wasn't a particularly long or painful process, the woman just took pictures of Maude and Kenna to match up against the known passenger database, and printed out their boarding passes. She took their bags, put stickers labeled NY on them, and directed Maude and Kenna to the security machines.

 

On their way to security, Maude pulled out her and Kenna's NMII ID cards, and they let the guard check the validity of their cards before bypassing security all together.

 

“So, what do you want for breakfast?” Maude asked, hefting her backpack higher on her back, rolling her carry-on behind her, her other hand on Kenna's arm. “There are sandwiches, bagels, cinnamon buns, breakfast tacos... oh, breakfast tacos sound pretty good.”

 

“Yes, I know all about your taco addiction.” Kenna said, laughing. “But, I actually ate back at the house. You can eat whatever you want.” she had just as many bags as Maude, but she also had her cane in hand to help her maneuver. 

 

“You ate without me?” Maude asked, sounding scandalized. “My best friend let me sleep through breakfast, only to wake me mere moments before we had to leave. You let me starve.”

 

“I figured you're a big girl and you can wake up by yourself.” said Kenna. “But if it makes you feel any better, I'll pay for your breakfast.”

 

“No, I can't take advantage of you that way.” Maude said, and completely missed Kenna rolling her eyes.

 

“Alright, big girl.” Kenna said. “Let's go get you a taco, you're obviously about to die.”

 

“And it's all your fault!” Maude laughed back.

 

The line for breakfast tacos wasn't long, Maude got a sausage and egg taco, while Kenna caved and got herself some pigs in a blanket.

 

“I ate at the house.” Maude teased as they walked to their gate.

 

“Yeah, well, you know, shut up.” Kenna stammered, laughing. “Let's just get on the plane.”

 

They arrived just in time—the woman at the desk was calling for passengers with disabilities that needed more time to board, so Maude and Kenna just breezed on up and got on the plane.

 

“You know, traveling with a blind person is really useful. I highly recommend it.” Maude joked as she and Kenna found their seats in row three, seats A and B.

 

“I know,” Kenna agreed. “You walk up with a red and white cane, and doors just start opening.” she smiled and punched Maude in the shoulder, gently.

 

“I call window seat!” Maude yelled.

 

“I get aisle, I guess.” Kenna said at a normal volume. She held out her hand, “Here, I'll shove your backpack under the seat while you get the carry-ons in the overhead.”

 

“Aw, thank you dear!” Maude said, handing Kenna her bag, and moving so Kenna could get into the row of seats, pulling both carry-ons with her. Another perk of getting on the plane first was there was no chance for them to run out of overhead space.

 

By the time other people started boarding the plane, Maude and Kenna were already settled in, with neck pillows out and headphones on.

 

“Hey, Kenna?” Maude said, “I'm gonna take a nap, wake me if the plane catches fire.”

 

Kenna just snored in response.

 

Maude laughed and curled up in her seat, resting her head on Kenna's shoulder. She fell asleep to the gentle thrumming of the plane taking off.


	2. Memes

Maude woke with a jolt as the plane touched down. Maude pressed the button to turn the window next to her clear, and she could see a snowy runway breezing past her. She touched the window, and felt the biting cold through the glass.

 

“Kenna, Kenna, wake up.” Maude said, shaking Kenna into consciousness. “Look, it snowed out.”

 

“What?” Kenna muttered, yawning widely. “It didn't snow—it never snows.”

 

“Not at home. But we're in New York now, baby!” Maude said. She grabbed Kenna's hand and pressed it to the window. “See? It's snowed!”

 

“It's just cold because we were in the air.” said Kenna, pulling her hand back, then blowing on it a bit.

 

“Whatever, you non-believer.” Maude settled back in her seat. “Just know that I'm forcing you to wear your coat after this.”

 

“Of course.” Kenna said, rolling her eyes.

 

The plane had arrived at the airport exactly on time, so their terminal was ready for them to get off their plane, and head to baggage claim three to collect their bags. Newark was a huge airport, and it took a good fifteen minuted for Maude and Kenna to cycle through the bathroom and get to the bag return.

 

The light had just started flashing when they got there, and the first bag was making its way down the conveyor belt.

 

“Here,” Maude said, reaching into her backpack to pull out her and Kenna's coats. “take yours and put it on.” she handed the wad of clothing to Kenna.

 

“Thanks.” Kenna said, rubbing her hands along the fabric until she identified which coat was hers, then dropped Maude's on her feet while she put it on.

 

Maude pushed her way to the front of the line and watched as the bags came down, seeing hers and Kenna's bags on the conveyor belt one next to another.

 

“'Excuse me.” she said as she reached across the person next to her to grab both the bags at once and heft them off the belt and onto the ground. It wasn't difficult for her at all, but the size of the bags compared to the size of her made it look like a struggle.

 

“Let me help you with those, Miss.” said a man, and Maude turned to see a nicely dressed man with a large suitcase next to him holding out his hand. His suitcase also had NMII Demonology Department tape wrapped around it.

 

“I'm handling just fine.” Maude said. She pulled up the suitcase handles, and wiggled the bags a little bit so that the tape caught in the light.

 

“Oh! You're here for the case too!” the man said, smiling brightly. “I'm Jeffery Rodriguez, this is my first case, I'm so exited! Have you met Agent Bellafront yet? I've heard she's unconventional, but really efficient. I'm so exited to get started!”

 

Maude laughed, and reached out to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you Jeffery, I'm Maude Bellafront.”

 

The man's face paled. “I'm sorry, that was no way to greet a superior, I, uh,” he stammered, blushing bright red, as he directed his eyes to the ground.

 

Maude laughed, “You did nothing wrong, kid. I don't care for all that formality bullcrap, so don't you go getting all awkward on me now.” she smiled. “C'mon, I heard they're sending us over three to a taxi, so now we've got our group.” Maude gestured to Jeffery and started walking to where Kenna was waiting.

 

“Kenna! I got us a new friend can we keep him?” Maude called, sliding Kenna's bag her way.

 

“Hm?” Kenna asked, grabbing her bag handle, passing Maude her coat. “Oh is he the one we're gonna share a taxi with?” she asked, looking vaguely in the man's direction.

 

“Yep!” said Maude.

 

“I'm Jeffery Rodriguez, it's nice to meet you—Kenna, right?” Jeffery said smiling, holding out his hand.

 

“Handshake, Kenna.” Maude muttered when Kenna didn't react.

 

“Oh, sorry.” Kenna said, holding out her hand, waiting for Jeffery to take it, “I'm McKenzie Ford, nice to meet you. Just Kenna is fine, though.” she smiled. “Wow, you're so green even I can see it.”

 

Maude laughed, while Jeffery just stood there, looking confused.

 

“Well, let's go catch us a taxi!” Maude cheered, starting to walk to the front of the airport.

 

“Okay,” Kenna said, following behind Maude, her cane swaying gently on the floor. “Coming Jeff. Is it fine if I call you Jeff?”

 

“Yeah, Jeff is fine.” he said, rushing to catch up with the girls. “You're blind?” he asked, failing to find a way to politely say it.

 

“Yep, blind as a bat. I'm the youngest of triplets, kinda the runt of the litter if you know what I mean. It's fine, I get by. I have a special suit I normally wear, but it's not allowed on airplanes.”

 

“Oh. Sorry.” Jeff said.

 

“Why? You didn't do anything, you were only curious.” she smiled. “And I think curiosity's a good thing—just don't go sticking your nose in where it don't belong.” she laughed.

 

“Last one who did lost a nose!” Maude laughed, stepping into the road to hail a taxi. “Naw, we're pretty casual. Don't be a jerk nugget and we'll get along just dandy.” a bright yellow car pulled into the spot just before where Maude was standing. “Hey watch it! You cut that to close!”

 

“Noted.” Jeff said, walking his bag towards the back of the car, the trunk already opening. “Oh, do you need any help?” he asked, turning around to look at Kenna, only to see that she had grabbed Maude's roll-along bag as well as her own and was following close behind him.

 

“No, thanks for the offer. I'm good.” Kenna walked past him and got to the trunk first, hefting her bags into the back, and shoving them to the side, stepping out of the way for Jeff to do the same.

 

Meanwhile, Maude was talking with the taxi driver.

 

“Whaddaya mean 'no way in hell'?” she asked, crossing her arms.

 

“Sorry ma'am, but I refuse to drive there. I been hearin' all kinds of freaky shit about that place.” he said. “I kinda like my sanity thank you very much.”

 

“Yes, I've been hearing about the creepy town as well, that's why we're going. We're NMII investigators, and let me promise you we have so many wards and iron and salt no demonic entity is getting within three feet of your car.” to sweeten the deal, she pulled a little cash out of her bag.

 

“Hm... okay, but you're payin' for it if somethin' goes bad.” the driver said, eying the money.

 

“Well, it wont happen.” Maude said sweetly, giving the driver his extra tip.

 

They loaded into the car, Maude and Kenna in the back, and Jeff sitting in the front. The driver evidently still hadn't forgiven them for making him drive to a middle of nowhere town that's been having demonic activity, and stayed tight lipped throughout the journey.

 

“So, Jeff, I'm curious. What are your first impressions so far?” Maude asked, leaning to put her hand on Jeff's shoulder.

 

“You have accents.” Jeff said dumbly, and Kenna and Maude started laughing.

 

“I was talking about the case.” Maude giggled. “But that works too, we grew up in West Texas before moving to the city for work.”

 

“It's where there's a lot of farms.” Kenna explained. “Cotton, cows. You know.”

 

“Whole lotta nothing.” Maude agreed. Then she grinned. “See, you're already getting more comfortable with us! How sweet!”

 

Maude settled back in her seat, leaning into Kenna's side. Kenna had already taken out her headphones, and was listening to one of her podcasts again. “What're you listening to?” she asked, pawing at the cord.

 

Kenna just rolled her eyes, and handed Maude an earbud.

 

“This is a good episode.” Maude agreed, nodding.

 

Kenna began to rub her hand through Maude's hair. “Oh yeah,” she said suddenly. “You cut your hair. I forgot about that.”

 

“It was only a week ago!” Maude said. “How did you forget so quickly?” she had gotten her hair, which had grown to her shoulders, sheared in a V shape so that in the back it was cut with a razor, and in the front it reached her cheekbones.

 

“I'm forgetful. Sue me.” Kenna laughed.

 

“I'll see you in court.” Maude said.

 

“You and what attorney?” Kenna said.

 

“Only these guns, Baby!” Maude said, lifting up her arms.

 

Kenna grabbed Maude's wrist, and shook her arm. “Noodles.” she crooned.

 

“Hey!” Maude squawked, pulling her arm back, gently smacking Kenna in the face.

 

“So,” Jeff said, “do you guys have any extra information on the mission? I mean, you are leading it.”

 

“Well, I don't really know.” Maude said. “How much were you told?”

 

“That there was a murder-suicide, they did the demagi-counter tests out of routine, and they were maxed out.” he said. “We weren't really told much more than that.”

 

“That's about as much as anyone knows.” Maude said. “There was nothing occultic in the home, both husband and wife were seen as respectable members of their community. We have no leads. It's so exciting!”

 

“Yeah, exciting.” Kenna said, a bit less enthusiastic. “So, Jeff, what division do you work in, anyways?”

 

“I'm in the demonology division! I specialize in runes and binding circles.” he said, smiling proudly.

 

“Ow,” Maude said. “That's a lot of rote memorization.”

 

“Not at all!” Jeff insisted. “The runes and stuff just all came naturally to me, you know?” Maude nodded, though nothing that had to do with memorization came easy to her at all. “Oh, what do you two specialize in?”

 

“Hm? Well, I'm demonology as I'm sure you know. Specifically, I identify demons and their motifs, summoning circles and incantations, and weaknesses. I can find 'em, summon 'em and slay 'em.” Maude said, laughing at her own little joke.

 

“I'm on the Analysis team, or the Nerd Squad. I specialize in the integration of magical energy and technology, specifically to identify and ward off malicious entities.” Kenna said. “I'm the one who figured out how to make your demon proof visor, for example.”

 

“Really?” Jeff asked. “That's amazing! How do you do it?”

 

“It's just a matter of getting a magical generator and a substance that magic will travel on the way electricity travels on wires. Then you just use runes and sigils to make the magic do what you want.” Kenna said. “Simple, actually.”

 

“That was in layman's terms and I got none of it.” Jeff said.

 

“Yeah, Kenna tends to do that to people.” Maude said. “You should hear her older sibling, though. No one can understand Mick when they get going.”

 

“No one's ever been able to understand Mick.” Kenna said. “Not even their coworkers.”

 

“What do they do?” Jeff asked.

 

“Preter biology with an emphasis on magic.” said Kenna. “All my family's kinda science-magic based. My older sister is a show magician, also.”

 

“Wow, really specialized family.”

 

“Makes for some weird reunions, let me tell you.” Maude said. “Totally chaotic.”

 

“My family's nothing like that.” said Jeff. “I'm an only child, and my dad's an accountant.”

 

“That sounds nice.” said Maude. “Simple. My parents didn't exactly agree with my career choice, so we don't talk much.” she leaned into her seat, staring at her hands.

 

“Let's play Names.” said Kenna, turning her phone volume all the way down.

 

“Okay!” Maude said. “You know how, right Jeff?”

 

“It's the one where you say a name that starts with the same letter as the last name's last letter, right?”

 

“Yep. Except we use all nouns instead of just names.”said Maude. “We'll start with 'Kenna' since she brought up the game... apple.” she said and smiled.

 

“E...” said Kenna. “Example.”

 

“Effect” said Jeff, catching on to the simple car ride game.

 

“Trombone.” Maude said.

 

“You just love giving me E's” Kenna said. “Exemplary.”

 

“That's an adjective!”

 

Kenna groaned. “Ellipse. That's a shape.”

 

“Good job.”

 

The first round ended when Jeff couldn't figure out a noun that started with Y, and the second ended when they ran out of nouns that started with X. they didn't have time to start a third round because that was when the arrived at their hotel.

 

The taxi driver barely waited for them to get their bags out of the car before he hightailed it out of the parking lot, tires squealing and spinning on the wet ground.

 

The NMII New York branch had obviously gotten to the town before Maude did, and they had already set about turning the hotel into a temporary home base. There was a security checkpoint at the front door which everyone had to go through, and some demonology experts were working on setting up a catch-all ward on the outside of the hotel.

 

A young woman with a tablet came out to meet them outside the front doors. “Names?” she asked quickly, scanning her list.

 

“Maude Bellafront.” she Maude said, pulling out her ID. The woman looked between Maude and the picture on her screen, before taking to ID from her. She scanned the bar code on the bottom to confirm it was a valid ID, then swiped the bar code through another device.

 

“Your room is 347, your key is your card, Next.”

 

“McKenzie Ford.” said Kenna, holding out her ID. The woman went through the same process as before, then handed the card back to Kenna.

 

“You're rooming with Bellafront.”

 

Jeff went through the same process and was assigned to room 356.

 

“Hey, we're right down the hall from each other!” Maude smiled. “We're gonna go unload now, see you later!”

 

Kenna and Maude crammed themselves into an already mostly full elevator, standing awkwardly in the doorway. Luckily, their floor was the first one the elevator stopped on, so they weren't crammed for too long.

 

“We're to the left, Kenna.” Maude said, reading the hotel signs. Kenna nodded and turned, trailing her hand along the wall, brushing her fingers across the braille numbers on the room plates. When she reached her room she pulled out her ID and swiped the card to get into her room.

 

“This is nice.” Maude said, following Kenna into the room. “Kitchen on the right, couch area in front, a room with two beds to the left.” she said, pointing out what was in the room.

 

Kenna nodded and turned to the left. “I'm taking left bed,” she said.

 

“Okay, I'll take right.” said Maude, going to the air conditioning unit in the room, turning it as low as it would go.

 

“Maude, are you turning the room into an ice chest?” Kenna asked, hearing the subtle beeping. “You always freeze me out.”

 

“Hey, you can put more blankets and clothes on, I can only take so much off.” Maude said. “And no, I'm not sleeping in the nude, we're in a hotel.”

 

Kenna shrugged. “It would solve your problem.”

 

Maude went into the bedroom, and smacked Kenna upside the head. “Not happening, nerd.”

 

“Dang it.” Kenna snickered, and sat down on the bed.

 

Maude sat down on the opposite bed, turning on her tablet and opening her case file, pulling up the profiles of all the people on her team. She tapped out the command for another window and researched restaurants in the area.

 

“Hey Kenna, I'm planning on a team dinner somewhere, you know, so we get to know each other before tomorrow. You cool with that?”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Kenna said. “Where we going?”

 

“I'm looking into that now.” Maude said, scrolling through a travel review page. “Oh, wanna go to a Mexican place?”

 

“In northern New York State?” Kenna laughed. “Holy crap, don't tell me a place is actually advertising itself as Mexican up here.”

 

“Valentine's Quesadilla.”

 

“Nuh-uh.” Kenna said. “Valentine isn't even a Mexican name.”

 

“We'll put that on the back burner.” Maude agreed, and kept scrolling. “But this place seems good, some seafood place?”

 

“Does it have crab?” Kenna asked.

 

“Oh I don't know – Yes they have crab Kenna!” Maude said, leaning across the gap between beds to smack Kenna upside the head.

 

“If it's got crab then I'm good.”

 

“Okay, now that I've got your seal of approval, I'll send a message out to the team.” Maude said, copying the information off of the restaurant's page, and clicking the send all button on the case file. “Does five sound good to you?”

 

“What time is it now?”

 

“Like three-thirty.”

 

“That's good.”

 

Maude finished typing her message and hit send.

 

“How many people are on the team?” Kenna asked.

 

“Fifteen.” Maude said, watching as received messages flashed onto her screen. Kenna nodded, opening her own tablet and looking at the case file for herself, running her fingers along the morph surface braille.

 

“Do you want shower first?” Kenna asked.

 

“No, you can take it.” Maude said. “I'm gonna start unpacking. I'll take top two drawers and you get bottom two?”

 

“That sounds good.” Kenna said, sliding her bag onto her bed and pulling her sensor suit out. “I'm gonna shower now. You can unpack my stuff if you want.”

 

“Cool.” Maude said, holding a thumbs up.

 

“I still can't see that.”

 

“You knew what it was.”

 

Kenna rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

 

When Maude heard the click of the lock, she started laughing. “C'mon Kenna, you don't have to worry about Ty walking in here!”

 

“He could show up any minute!” Kenna shouted back, and the showed turned on. “Besides, I don't trust you anymore than I trust him!”

 

“Oh, Kenna dear! How you wound me!” Maude laughed, falling back on her bed.

 

Kenna decided not to answer and instead took her shower in silence while Maude unpacked. Half an hour later, when Kenna was done with her ridiculously long shower they switched, and Maude showered while Kenna unpacked.

 

By four-twenty they were all prepared to go downstairs. They wanted to get to the restaurant early so they could make sure to get tables close to five.

 

“Just in time to blaze it.” Maude commented while Kenna groaned.

 

“You spend too much time with Ty, you're picking up his outdated memes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended way before when I was planning, but finals and auditions and crap are coming up so I wanted to get this out before I disappeared forever!!


	3. Inside the Home

Others from the research group were already waiting in the lobby when Maude and Kenna finally arrived at the restaurant.

“Oh, hey Maude!” shouted someone from across the room. “I already put our group on the list.”

“Thanks Bilski!” Maude shouted back, recognizing one of her coworkers easily. “Did they give you a wait time?”

“Twenty minutes like ten minutes ago.”

“That works out great then.” 

Maude began to make her rounds through the room, meeting up with all the members of her team. There were a couple that had come from her office in the south, as well as a few from the west coast, and an overwhelming amount from the NYC office. Not all of them were with her demonology research team, many of them were did more human research, like criminal profiling and psychology. It was confusing that the National Magical Investigation Institute had many human research groups, but it was all cool.

On Maude's team there were eight members. Jeffery Rodriguez, Hitomi Shirakawa, and Ana Rockfield in charge of runes and binding circles, Rocket Fisher, Laine McKillet and Earnest Lockheart on magical artifacts, and Lloyd Hershey as well as Maude herself as summoning experts. It was a rather small investigation team, considering the size of the case.

Maude didn't know Kenna's team's jobs as specifically, but she did learn all their names. She left Kenna with one person named Alex Gutierrez when they started talking about something Maude couldn't even begin to understand.

At dinner they wound up sitting at two different tables, one for the demonologists and the other for the Nerd Squad. The demonologist table was loud, with people yelling and reaching over each other, as was the personality demonology attracts, while the Nerd Squad calmly spoke about the best ways to gore a charging Wendigo, as was the type of person preternatural crime scene forensics attracts.

By the end of the night even an extreme extrovert like Maude was tired, and Kenna had taken the all-you-can-eat crab far too seriously.

When they finally parted ways and reached their hotel room, Kenna groaned before Maude had even taken out her room key.

“Really?” Kenna said, banging her head on the wall.

“What is it?” Maude asked, opening the door, only to see what Kenna meant.

Tyrone was sitting on the kitchenette counter eating cookie dough ice cream, the kind that was really more cookie dough than ice cream and probably had a good chance of giving even the strongest stomach salmonella, straight from the tub. 

“I tried to wait so we could have ice cream together.” he said. “Then I got bored. You guys were out for a long time.”

“Sorry, we were hanging out with friends.” Maude said, grabbing a spoon from the silverware drawer and jumping onto the counter next to Ty.

“If you can call all fifteen of them our friends.” Kenna said.

“We were making them our friends.” Maude said. She crossed her arms and turned up her nose, before dropping the act to eat the ice cream.

“Ty, how did you even get into our room while we were out? How did you even know which room we were in?” Kenna said, walking over to the bedroom, stopping to lean on the door frame. She really just wanted to sleep off her stomach ache gained from eating copious amounts of crustaceans.

“Magic.” Ty said.

Kenna rolled her one visible eye. “Fine. Just, you're sleeping on the couch.”

“So rude.” Ty pouted. “I wanna sleep in a giant snuggle pile!”

“We can snuggle pile!” Maude said.

Kenna rolled her eyes. “Just don't wake me at odd hours of the night giggling.”

“I would do no such thing!” Ty said.

“I keep a journal, do you really want to know the answer to that?” Kenna said. “It's more likely than you might think.”

“Am I that bad?”

“Yes.”

“Geez, you two would kill each other if I left you in a locked room.” Maude laughed, standing between Ty and Kenna. “Do I need to get yall on leashes?”

“No, I can behave myself.” Kenna said, her lips tugging up at the corners.

“I do have some self control.” Ty said.

“In the form of Maude?” Kenna said back, falling into the usual routine of friendly bickering.

“She is like ninety percent of my impulse control, I will admit.” Ty said.

“You overestimate yourself.” Maude said around her spoon. “I'm at least ninety-five.”

“This wound!” Ty yelled dramatically, pretending to stab himself with the spoon. “How will I ever recover!”

“Well, considering I'm at least eighty-five percent of Maude's impulse control...” Kenna laughed, pushing off the door frame and leaning on the counter next to Maude.

“You think it's only eighty-five percent?” Maude asked, eyes shining.

“Well, you have gotten better.” Kenna laughed. “Now pass me a spoon, I want in on this ice cream business.” she decided that she might as well eat her fair share of ice cream now, she'd already passed the point of no return with all her crab.

Maude laughed and grabbed her one, taking the ice cream from Ty and balancing it in her lap so everyone could have better access. They spoke randomly, about how their days went, the horrors of travel, and in the end Maude and Ty settled on the couch to watch a series of documentaries about travel disasters. Kenna turned in early to go to sleep, deciding that the ice cream was quite possible the worst decision she had made all year.

Kenna's alarm woke her up at eight in the morning, and a quick glance to the bed next to her showed Maude had wound up sleeping on the couch—her colors weren't resting in the bed. Kenna took the opportunity to go through her morning routine before Maude or—worse—Ty could steal the bathroom from her.

At eight-thirty she went into the common area of the hotel room, and sure enough Maude and Ty were lounging on the couch, Maude snoring loudly.

“Wake up!” Kenna shouted, smacking her fist on the wall a few times for good measure. “We need to leave for the investigation sight in an hour!”

Maude yelped as she fell on the floor. “Kenna,” she whined. “Why'd you have to yell so loud?”

“Because if I was any quieter you wouldn't hear me.” Kenna said, vaguely noticing she hadn't properly turned on her Sensor Suit yet. It was too early in the morning to be alive.

She was about to begin the configuration process when Maude stopped her. “I'm gonna force you to wear a coat, so don't even bother.”

“Well, thanks for warning me.” Kenna sighed, and just pulled her foldable cane from her utility belt. “Get ready fast, we don't have any food in the kitchenette yet, so we need to eat out of the buffet downstairs.”

“We want first picks.” Maude said.

“Well, that and all the NMII agents are going to be going down at about the same time. I don't feel like waiting in ridiculously long lines today.” Kenna said.

“Me neither.” Maude said. “So I guess I will have to forgo my thirty minute shower?”

  
“You can shower tonight.” Kenna said.

“Fine.” Maude said, “Is Ty still asleep?” 

“Yep.” Kenna said, “He's out like a rock, I guess.”

“Lazy.” Maude agreed. “Should I leave him a note?”

“He knows we're here for work.” Kenna said. “And besides, he's a big boy. He can figure it out himself. Just get dressed so we can eat.”

“Someone's grumpy.” Maude said, retreating into the bedroom and getting dressed in her uniform. “What happened to the cheery Kenna from yesterday morning?”

“I need my copious amounts of caffeine and sugar before I can be expected to be a good person.” Kenna said, yawning loudly. “Yesterday morning was an outlier and should not have been counted. No, I was awake for long before you and had already recovered, and drank my tumbler of coffee.”

“That's not very nice.” Maude said.

“See my previous statement.”

The breakfast buffet was, as Kenna had expected, absolutely packed. There were NMII agents scrambling all over the place, holding tablets and ancient tomes and big cups of coffee with food added on top of the stack as an afterthought.

Most of the tables had already been monopolized by stacks of paper and books and computers, with food slipped in wherever it would fit. The hotel staff was standing in the corner, clearly done with trying to control the chaos and merely focusing on keeping enough coffee out to fit everyone's needs. Maude and Kenna were preparing to find a nice length of wall, preferably with carpeted floors, when a voice cut across the chaos.

“Hey! Maude, Kenna! You can sit with me!” Jeffery yelled, sitting at a table that was, like the rest, covered in research materials, his covered in ancient and vaguely foreboding runes.

“Thanks dude!” Maude yelled. “I was getting ready to sit on the floor! You really saved my butt!”

“Maude, butt jokes aren't that funny.” Kenna said.

“ _Butt_ they are.” Maude said. “Get it? _Butt_?”

“You literal child.”

“You know you love me!”

“Not this early in the morning I don't.”

“Oh, is someone not a morning person?” Jeff asked as the girls sat down.

“You're a freak of nature.” Kenna said.

“Just because of the five cups of coffee mixed with energy drinks and straight caffeine pills.” Jeff said. “I can't feel my feet right now, but that will die down before I have to do real work."

Maude stopped moving and stared at Jeff, “I can't tell if you're serious or not. Either way, you're dying and early death.”

“Probably.” Jeff said, taking a swig from his mug and shivering.

“I don't care, Maude, let's go get food.” Kenna said.

“Alright!” Maude said, “Hold down the fort!”

“The fort is not filled with helium!” Jeff said.

“Who cares!”

Surprisingly, the line for the buffet was pretty short. The coffee machines were swamped, but the actual food was had basically no line at all. They quickly went through the food line, and went back to the table.

“You're not getting coffee?” Jeff asked. “Want a sip from mine?”

“Gladly.” Kenna said, reaching out to take the mug from him. She only took a small sip, but it woke her up and tasted absolutely disgusting. “That's awful, I'm never eating anything you give me again.”

“Oh no, you've lost her trust.” Maude said. “And we will get coffee, just at a coffee shop on our way to the site.” she began to tuck into her meal, taking bites that were probably too big for a human mouth to hold.

“That's smart.” Jeff said. “I made this myself in my room, I brought my own coffee and caffeine pills.”

“You're gonna have a heart attack.” Kenna said, grabbing a muffin off her plate and eating it to get the taste out of her mouth. “I'm shaking so bad right now, you see this?” she held out her hand to show off the quivering.

“That's nothing, you should see mine.” Jeff said, holding out his own hand.

“Wow.” Kenna said sarcastically. “Like a leaf, I can really see it.”

“Oh, right.” Jeff said, pulling his hand back in.

“You're good, you're good.” Kenna laughed.

“Kenna, girl, eat faster.” Maude said. “There's gonna be a line at the Sunshine coffee shop.”

“Is that really the name of the closest coffee shop?” Jeff asked. “That's a little ironic, actually.” 

“That's what I said.” Kenna said. “I think Maude was still asleep, though.”

“Oh shut up.” Maude said. “I'm not the one biting heads off 'till noon.”

“At least I'm sentient.”

“You mispronounced grumpy.”

“Good morning.” a new voice said, and Kenna let her head drop to the table, resting it on top of butter-less toast.

“Good morning Ty.” Maude said. “We would have woken you, but we needed to cycle through the bathroom quickly.”

“I'm hurt. You think I'm a bathroom hog?” Ty said, sitting down and grabbing a muffin off Maude's plate.

“Hey, I was eating that!” Maude swatted at his head.

“Historically, you take hour-plus long showers.” Kenna said. “I still have that journal.”

“Um, hi? Who is this?” Jeff said.

“Oh yeah! This is Tyrone, he's our roommate.” Maude said. “This is Jeff, he works in runes.”

“'Roommate'.” Kenna laughed. “More like insufferable pain in the butt.”

“Nice to meet you, Jeffery.” Ty said, ignoring Kenna and shaking Jeff's hand. “Hope you're not secretly evil and plotting to destroy us all!”

“Um... okay.” Jeff discreetly wiped his hand on his pants. “So, what division do you work in?” 

“Oh, I'm not with the NMII.” Ty said, now grabbing at some of Kenna's sugary cereal. She gave up and pushed the entire bowl to him, rolling her eyes and sighing heavily.

“He's self employed.” Maude explained once it was clear that Ty had stopped talking. “He's a writer, does writerly things.”

“Flexible hours.” Jeff said. “Must be nice.”

“Awful hours, you mean.” Kenna said. “He is nocturnal sometimes, I swear.”

“You too, dear!” Maude said.

“I'm blind I have an excuse!”

“And I'm an artist!” Ty said, and Kenna could feel his smirk.

“Well!” Maude said. “Kenna, we're supposed to be at the site early, we should have left five minutes ago.”

“Why didn't you tell me!” Kenna shoved an entire waffle into her mouth.

“Well, like, we were talking, and Ty showed up, and we were having fun, and so I just forgot.” Maude said.

“We're gonna have to drive through time.” Kenna said, grabbing her coat off the back of the chair.

“See yall later boys!” Maude agreed, sweeping her flowing coat over her shoulders. “Don't kill each other!”

“So um...” Ty trailed off. “Sports?”

“No.”

“Dissected creatures?" 

“That's cool.”

 

* * *

 

Kenna just finished off her coffee, black and piping hot, when they pulled up in front of the crime scene.

“And it's kinda weird, you know?” Maude said. “This is like just, a normal neighborhood. It actually looks a lot like your house did in middle school, Kenna. And to think that such a thing happened here... and all the magical energy, it's almost uncanny.”

“I think I know what you mean.” Kenna said, looking out the window. “The house is on my side?”

“Yep.” Maude pulled her bag off of Kenna's legs and began digging through it for her things.

“And... all of the neighbors have been evacuated, right?”

“They're staying in the same hotel as us, on different floors of course.”

“Does everything look normal to you?”

“What's wrong?” Maude asked, zipping her bag up.

“The whole house has an... aura, sort of.” Kenna said. “But it's not like an aura it lacks... texture. It's just blank. Like white noise, that's what it is. The house's aura looks like white noise.”

“Looks like white noise...” Maude repeated, scribbling the words down on her notepad, a type made specially for the NMII so that no one accidentally summoned a demon while taking notes. “Is there anything like, remarkable about it?”

“It's so unremarkable that it's remarkable.” Kenna said. “Does that count? It just looks like... all the ambient energy in the entire town decided this was the one place to gather at. It almost feels like electricity on my arms.”

“Like... electricity...” Maude repeated. “Well, I think I'm gonna go with a little more safety gear than I'd planned. I'll send out a memo too...” she reopened her bag and dug around for her phone, tapping out a message for her people to dress as though there were a possible miasma/vengeful spirit/demon lingering in the home. 

'Extra safety gear' to Maude meant her rune-riddled vest over her shirt, and her special anti-demon headband that folded out into a helmet. For Kenna that mainly meant a necklace with a purity sigil ingrained on it and making sure that her hair securely covered her right eye.

It was while watching Kenna secure her bangs that Maude got an idea. “I have a pretty bad and kinda selfish idea.”

“No judgment zone.” Kenna said, taking a quick inventory of everything in her utility belt. “Shoot away.”

“Like, maybe you could take a look with your right eye?” Kenna's hand froze. “Like, it might get us a better idea of what we're working with here! Though, if you're uncomfortable with it you don't have to! This was a terrible idea.”

“It wasn't a terrible idea.” Kenna said, resting her hand on top of the velvet pouch of her belt. “I just think it would be like using a sledge hammer to plant a daisy, at this point. Like, we could get the same result by using less drastic measures.”

“That makes sense.” Maude said. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

“It was a good idea, in the right direction.” Kenna said, “I just don't think we need it yet.”

“Well, let's get going!” Maude swung her car door open, and Kenna followed suit.

Maude rolled across the hood of the car, and grabbed Kenna by the hand. “Now, let's go investigate a murder!”

“You don't have to sound so cheerful about that!” Kenna laughed scandalously.

The NMII had already set up a type of airlock at the entrance, where agents had to get checked in and out, and get sprayed down with a type of mist that eliminated outside contamination. There, Maude and Kenna had to ditch their shoes and coats, and had to wander the house bare foot.

“This feels really weird.” Kenna said, standing in a corner while she calibrated her sensor suit. “I don't like being barefoot in strangers' homes.”

“Don't worry Kenna!” Maude said, “I'll keep vengeful ghosts from eating your toesies!”

Kenna laughed. “You know, strangely enough, that's not my main concern." 

“We'll bring slippers tomorrow.” Maude said.

“You know what, I think that would make me feel even more awkward than walking around in my socks.” Kenna said, looking around the house.

“So, let's check out where the fuzzy aura is thickest, okay?” Maude said. “Lead the way, girlie.”

“Okay.” Kenna began walking, narrowly avoiding walking into a door. “Man, the energy's interfering with my suit. This sucks.”

“Don't worry I wont let you run into any walls."

Kenna walked into the large kitchen, rubbing her hand along the cold tile counters. “The energy in here is also elevated, but I think it's just by proximity. The most of the fuzz is in that way.” she pointed directly in front of her, across the counter. She went around the island, and stopped short, eyes fixed on the ground in front of her.

Maude tried to continue on into the living room, but Kenna grabbed her arm.

“Don't go in there.” Kenna said. “There's... glowing lines, all over the ground.”

“Glowing lines?” Maude asked.

“Yeah, just all over that room.” Kenna said, gesturing with her hands. “Is that where the crime was committed?”

“Yeah, it was.” Maude said.

“Can you not see the lines?” Kenna said.

“Not at all. I only see a bunch of blood, and chalk outlines where the bodies were.” Maude said. “I'm gonna ask you to draw the lines for me, do you think you can do that?”

“Of course.”

Maude turned around to one of the other agents milling about the house, “Grab me a marker and some papers. Also I want the living room wrapped in two layers of caution tape, no one goes in there. Thank you!”

She slipped the paper and the marker to Kenna, who was sitting on the floor now, rubbing at the floor. Kenna nodded and took them, turning the top page to be landscape oriented, and scribbling the word 'door' at the bottom corner.

What she drew was full of swooping curved lines, with many circles and runes scribbled inside the gaps between the lines. In the end she took another piece of paper and wrote out all the runes individually, with a finer tipped pen.

“Does that look good?” she asked when she was done.

“Well, these are real runes, but the order they're in looks like complete gibberish to me.” Maude said, tilting her head at the rune only page. “Well, a few of these are unfamiliar to me, but that's fine. I'm no expert in runes, we'll send these off the Jeremy and his group to crack.”

“Sounds good to me.” Kenna said. “And the lines.”

“It looks really intricate, very complicated.” Maude said. “It looks kind of like a summoning circle, or one chunk of one. Now the most likely culprit is a demon, but I don't recognize the circle at all. I'll have to do a lot of research.”

“I agree.” Kenna said. “I wanna get a sure source on all of this energy, and see if we can create an energy detector sensitive enough to give us a sure number on the amount of energy in this place.”

“Whoo, big task.” Maude commented. “You ready to head out now?”

“No, not yet.” Kenna said. “I want to check upstairs, there's a lot of energy condensed up there as well.”

“Upstairs?” Maude asked.

“Unless all this energy is in the attic.” Kenna said. “It's just up.”

“Well, to the upstairs I guess.” Maude grabbed Kenna's hand, leading her to the stairs that led out of the kitchen. “I wasn't doubting you, by the way. I was just surprised that we had to go upstairs. Nothing happened up there.”

“Well, it must be some invisible culprit.” Kenna said, laughing as she pointed at her eyes.

“Must be.” Maude agreed.

The upstairs had a game room right at the top, with a crystal television screen mounted on the wall. “Rich family.” Maude noted. After the game room there were two bedrooms. It was one of the bedrooms where Kenna stopped.

“This room.” she said. “This room is the one that's the source of the problem.”

It was a child's room, a nursery more specifically. The walls were painted a pale yellow color, with a white cradle in one corner, and a matching dresser near the window, and a lavender rocking chair in the corner across from the cradle. There was a flower wreath mounted on the door. 

“The couple didn't have any children, did they?” Maude asked cautiously.

“No?” Kenna said, “Why?”

“This is a baby nursery.” Maude said. “Were they expecting?”

“Why would there be this much energy in a nursery?” Kenna said.

“I guess this is something we'll need to tell the more human side of the investigation.” Maude said. “I think we have enough notes to work with for now, wanna hit up that crappy Mexican place for lunch?”

“The like, what Samantha's Enchiladas?” Kenna said, following Maude to the exit.

“Close enough.” Maude said, laughing along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are finally over and I get time to write again! It has been like a long time since I updated, so I tried to write something longer than normal.


	4. Theories

That afternoon, Maude and Kenna split up and met with their respective teams. Maude's group was in a private room in the local library, which had been put under extra security due to the delicate nature of the information. When she arrived, all the others were well settled in, books and papers scattered all over the room, food wrappers everywhere papers weren't.

“Good afternoon.” Maude greeted, getting an array of grunts, and waves. “Had any luck yet?”

“We've been looking into demon motifs,” Earnest said, gesturing an arm to himself, Rocket and Lloyd. “No dice.”

“I've been looking for any artifacts that could have caused this.” Said Laine, “Or at least amplified power to this extent. It makes no sense.” They were very short, with huge glasses and long hair.

“We've been looking into runes that could control this.” Said Jeffery, sitting next to Hitomi. “But something this powerful...”

“It will do what it wants.” Hitomi said plainly.

“Thanks.” Maude said.

“I've been reading histories.” Ana said. “Anything remotely close is very out there, and only a slim connection.”

“Have you been taking notes?” Maude asked, pulling up a chair at the head of the table.

“Already shared the doc with you.” Ana said, poking something on the page with her red nails and tapping a few more words onto her screen.

“Thanks.” Maude said, pulling up her doc drive, looking at all the new files shared with her. “Oh! Jeff, Kenna found some runes at the site I want you guys to have a look at.” Maude said fishing around her bag for the sheets of paper. “I didn't want to risk sending them digitally.”

“Yeah, right.” Jeff said, abandoning his impressive looking tome. “Gimme,” he grabbed the papers from Maude and went back to where Hitomi was sitting, Ana abandoning her researching to join them.

“Where did you find these?” Hitomi asked, holding the picture of the full array Kenna found on the floor. “We were told the house had been swept clean, and they found nothing like this.”

“Well, evidently no one on that walk through had the Sight.” Maude said, and Ana muttered something about amateurs. “Kenna spotted it immediately, it was on the floor where they found the bodies.”

Ana nodded, and walked away, muttering about the Sight and crime scenes, putting the books she was reading before to the side, and pulling out three different books.

Hitomi and Jeffery began leaning over the paper, grabbing their notebooks and flipping open to new pages.

“I also took notes about random things I noticed to see if I could add it to the motif research.” Maude said, “I already shared the doc with everyone. One note that I think I forgot was that they had a full baby nursery, but they weren't expecting.”

Rocket jumped up and grabbed another book, signing a quick “Thanks,” to Maude on his way.

Maude grabbed a few books of her own and dove into her own research, looking into demons that only worked with people with the Sight. Due to the rarity of this type of demons, information was few and far between, so she mainly wound up finding speculation and a bunch of really weird stories, some of them Twin Souls fanfics (those got bookmarked on her private account).

They broke for dinner at five, and decided that they were done for the day, as it was no use burning themselves out when they had no real leads. Maude texted Kenna, and picked up some fast food on her way to the pop-up lab.

Kenna walked out of the building with another scientist, Maude wanted to say her name was Kathleen.

“So, find anything new?” Maude asked, leaning across the center to open the passenger side door for Kenna.

“Yes, actually!” Kenna said. “We found the source of the mystery energy.” she paused, “Well, no, we didn't find the source. Rather, we figured out what type of energy it is. Still have no clue where it came from.”

Maude nodded as she pulled away from the curb. “Well, my team says that the runes you found have some sort of nordic influence, but they don't recognize any of the less common symbols.”

“None at all?”

“Not a single one.” Maude said. “So what type of energy was it?”

“Ambient energy.” Kenna said. “Just like, the normal kind that you'd find anywhere, just in especially large quantities.”

“So, we know nothing.”

“Well, not exactly.” Kenna said, “We know that the energy's not especially dangerous, and in any other situation this could be seen as magic poisoning getting into this guy's mind and making him go crazy. But, that doesn't explain the demonic energy we found. It also doesn't explain where all of this energy came from.”

Maude would have responded, but by then they had pulled up to the hotel and exited the car, going through the airlock system the NMII had set up. Ty was already waiting for them in the hotel room, sitting on the couch watching TV.

“I got you food.” Maude said, placing her bags down on the counter.

“Thanks,” he said, standing up, making grabby arms for the bag. “What'd you get?”

“Well, I stopped at the Ron's, oh hush Kenna, I know you hate that place but it was the only one I passed. Unless you want a repeat of the enchilada place?” Maude said.

“I didn't say anything!” Kenna said, and Maude's aura popped vibrantly, like one of those big fireworks that sets off car alarms. “Yet. And also, those people had no right calling that salsa! I've tasted Italian sauces spicier than that. And did they make any effort to pronounce the words?”

“What? I'll have you know I enjoyed my 'chill-ay enkilayda with kay-soo'.” Maude said, imitating the thick yet unplaceable accent of the waitress.

“I did not.” Kenna said. “It was a tragedy. A tragedy on a plate.”

“Maude, please, you're killing me here.” Ty interrupted. “I just want to know what you got me to eat.”

“With that attitude, I'm gonna let you starve.” Maude said, putting down her bags on the counter. “For me I got a Double Big Ron, with a large Pitt and a big side of fries.”

“Killing me.” Ty complained, leaning against her back.

“Kenna, for you I got some chicken nuggets, with buffalo sauce and an apple pie.” Maude said, handing a paper bag to Kenna, who was smiling enthusiastically. “But you can't have it until you've eaten the rest of your food.”

“Dang it Maude.” Kenna muttered, putting the red box back into the bag and grabbing a chicken nugget. “Always ruining my fun.”

“You'll ruin your appetite with dessert.” Maude said.

“The apple pie is probably healthier than anything else you bought!” Kenna snapped back. “Also I want my drink.”

“Here's an orange soda.” Maude said, passing Kenna her cup. “Ty, I'm gonna send you shopping tomorrow. We desperately need food.”

“What will I get from it?” Ty asked.

Kenna shivered, and went to sit on the couch. She hated when this happened.

Maude's aura was comforting. It was familiar. When Kenna had moved to town as a scared, blind first grader, it had been Maude to calm her down. The warm sparks of colors felt like a small fire, comforting on her skin.

Tyrone was nothing like that. Ty's aura felt like molasses, felt like fog, felt like that one time her family went to the beach and she accidentally wandered too far into the water and got caught by a riptide. His aura was dangerous, unpredictable.

Suffocating. His aura was suffocating as it spread throughout the small hotel room.

“What you'll get from grocery shopping...” Maude mused, her rapid fire pops slowing n concentration. “Well, you'll get to eat some of the food you buy, not immediately but eventually of course. And you can get anything additional to the list so long as it's within... let's say twenty dollars.”

“Fifty.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Fourty.”

“Thirty, last offer.”

There was a pause in the conversation. “I'll take it.” Ty said, “Anything else?”

“Well, don't forget that me and Kenna are doing you a favor, and letting you hang out with us out of the goodness of our hearts.” Maude said sweetly. “And also, I pay the water bills at home. I could put an end to your baths.”

“You wouldn't.” Ty said.

“Bet.” was all Maude said.

Another long pause. “Deal.” Tyrone said, holding out his hand to shake.

“Deal.” Maude agreed, and this is the part that Kenna hated the most.

Because where Maude's rapid fire pops and fizzles, and Ty's goopy fog met, a fire sprouted.

 

 

The next day, Kenna went straight to the research room in the library before her lunch break. She didn't go into the one the demonologists had already taken over, instead finding another one that had been reserved for the investigation.

She booted up the lone computer sitting on the desk, plugging her braille pad into one of the side jacks, alternating between typing her queries and feeling the braille pad. Since there was nothing new to analyze, it was fine for her to research.

Even though she was researching her own personal theories, that had little backing. Yet. That's why she was studying, to get evidence before making a big deal of it.

 

Kenna left at lunch time, with a list of notes that she would sort through and prioritize later. She had received a text from Maude in the group text that said she was eating lunch with her team, so not to wait for her. Ty had texted after that that he was at the store. That text had been sent only a few minutes ago.

'Grab me a pizza lunch set.' she texted back to the chat, 'Please.' she added as an afterthought.

'Okay!' Ty texted back immediately, forcing Kenna to listen to the text-to-voice program read out the obscene amount of emojis following his reply.

“Honestly, why do I even bother.” Kenna muttered to herself, checking to make sure she still had everything in her utility belt before leaving the library, waving over her shoulder at the kind librarian.

In the small town, it wasn't hard for even Kenna to find her way back to the hotel. Two rights and a left to get there, so it would be a right then two lefts to get back. All of the streets she had to cross had screaming walk signals.

She must not have been paying attention, because she managed to ram into a man, even though she could swear he hadn't been registering on her Sensor Suit.

“Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry.” she said, stepping back. She reached out to help the man regain his balance, but she wasn't big enough to cause someone his size to fall over. In her fumbling she managed to trip over her own feet and land on her butt on the pavement.

“You're fine Miss,” said the man. “Here, let me help you up.”

Kenna could tell from his phrasing that he was holding out his hand, but she didn't want to embarrassingly flail around until he caught her hand, so she didn't bother and just stood up. The man huffed at her ignoring him, but didn't argue with her.

“So, Miss, that's a pretty interesting outfit you've got going on there.” he said, and Kenna groaned because it would obviously be one of those conversations.

It was plenty adorable when little kids called her a pretty robot, but when she had adults feeling wary about her it was a little sad. Though, it was obvious why they would come to that conclusion, what with the metallic fabric and glowing control panel situated in the center of her chest.

“Thank you, I made it myself.” Kenna said. “I'm not a robot before you ask.”

“A robot?” the man asked, with a laugh that fell smack in the middle of the uncanny valley. “Do you get asked that often?”

“Mostly by children and drunk college students.” Kenna admitted. She shrugged. “The campus is near my complex, so they usually catch me on my way back from the office.”

“Oh, sorry, I'd assumed you were a student.” the man said, and Kenna was unsurprised.

“I get that often. I'm a researcher, thus how I made my outfit myself.”

“So, what's the purpose?” the man asked, and Kenna brightened.

“It's a Sensor Suit! It works kinda like magical echolocation, it sends out a weak magic pulse that gets reflected off nearby objects. The suit receives that signal and turns it into pressure on my skin, giving me a map of my surroundings.”

“Are you blind?” the man asked, sounding shocked.

“Yeah, so?” Kenna crossed her arms defensively, looking away.

“Nothing bad, your eye-tracking was just very good. Is that because of the suit?” the man asked, curiously. Unnaturally.

“No, it's cause I have the Sight.” Kenna said. “Look, I've got a time limit, I've gotta go now.”

She pushed away from the man and continued down the road only one left turn left and she was in the hotel parking lot.

“Interesting girl.” the man said, and then vanished.

 

Tyrone was standing at the door to the hotel room when Kenna arrived. “Hey Ty.” she greeted. “Why haven't you let yourself in yet?” she asked, pushing past him to the door to open it, holding it open for him and his loud armfuls of bags.

“I was just ahead of you, and didn't have enough arms so I decided to wait.” he said, his shrug visible in his voice.

Kenna would have sworn she hadn't noticed him before, and his smoggy aura was very noticeable too. But, at the same time she had missed the man she ran into on the street. Maybe there was something wrong with her.

“Yeah, sure.” she grumbled, pulling out her key and swiping it, holding the door open for Ty to come in after her. From the horrible sounds of plastic bags rubbing together, he had his hands full. He grunted as he put all his things on the counter top.

“Help me unload?” he asked sugar-sweetly.

“Yeah, I guess?”

What followed was chaos as the blind girl and the weirdo tried to figure out where foodstuffs were supposed to go.

“Where should the Pitt go?” Ty asked.

“Um, I don't know?” Kenna said, shaking a box she grabbed to determine what it was—cereal. It was cereal. “The fridge? Do you want it cold?”

“Eh, I'll just put it in the freezer.”

“Definitely not.” Kenna interrupted him before he could even finish speaking. “Put it in the fridge, top shelf.”

“Geez, bossy much?” Ty said.

“You were the one prepping to put it in the freezer. Sodas blow up in the freezer.” Kenna said, deciding to just put it on the counter along the wall.

“Even better then!”

“But if all the sodas blow up, you wont have any sodas to drink. And also Maude will be maad at you.”

“You make and excellent point.” Ty said, and put the sodas in the fridge.

Kenna rolled her eyes, and pat down all the bags to make sure there wasn't anything cold left in them before grabbing the pizza lunch set she had asked Ty to pick up for her, settling down on the couch to listen to some TV.

“What you watching?” Ty asked, making the whole couch bounce as he jumped over the arm rest.

“I don't know, I literally just turned on the TV.” Kenna said. “It's probably just some bad mid-day soap opera or something.”

“I'm in,” Ty said, a bowl of popcorn suddenly cradled between his knees.

Kenna had started ignoring him a very long time ago.

Maude came home a few hours later to that sight, a pile of everything that didn't need to be refrigerated on the counter, and her two roommates sprawled out on the couch, crying along to some over dramatic, over acted show.

“Excuse you, I was in a coma!” the woman on screen yelled, swooning into a loveseat.

“That doesn't change the facts.” shouted a man who was dressed in a full three-piece suit, all of it plaid.

“I don't know what this is, but you're loosing brain cells.” Maude said, grabbing the remote off the coffee table. “I'm cutting you off before you go into a vegetative state.”

“Maudie.” Kenna whined.

“Wait, what?” Ty asked, looking startled. “When did you get here?”

“In time to see you watching this crap.” Maude scolded, smacking him on the head with the remote. “Have you two been like this all day?”

“Only since I got home.” Kenna said.

“Four hours ago?” Maude said, raising her eyebrows.

“What?” Kenna asked. “Was it really?”

Maude smiled and laughed, “You have popcorn stuck on your face.”

“What?” Kenna asked again, rubbing her cheek.

“You're going to bed early tonight, sweetie.”

“But Maudie.” Kenna whined, leaning her head back on the couch. “I don't wanna,”

“But Kenny.” Maude mimicked Kenna's tone, causing her to frown. “I said so.”

“But now we'll never find out what happened!” Ty shouted, pointing to the TV. “What a jerk you are, depriving me of my one pleasure.”

“You are permanently banned from watching soap operas ever again.” Maude said, “It's giving you bad happens. Sit down and shut up while I make you some real food.”

“Hm?” Kenna said. “I'll help.”

“Thanks.” Maude said. She turned on the TV, quickly changing the channel to the news.

“Ugh.” Kenna groaned. “Can you at least turn on the anything-but-history channel?”

“I don't think they have that one in the hotel.” Maude said, glancing at the laminated sheet that explained all the channels.

Kenna groaned dramatically. “That's it, I'm done. I'll never recover.”

“Yes you will.” Kenna gently punched her shoulder. “Now help me out. And avoid touching the cook top, it's hot.”

“Yes, _mom_.”

“Don't sass me, young lady!”

The hotel did not have the anything-but-history channel, but it did have a documentary channel that marathoned documentaries of all qualities all day. Maude squished herself onto the couch in between Kenna and Ty, and all of them curled up with their bowls of spaghetti.

“I'll take the dishes.” Kenna offered when everyone was done eating.

“Thanks!” Maude said, passing Kenna her cup and then Ty's. “You're the best.”

“You know it.” Kenna said, taking the pile of bowls and leaving them on the counter next to the sink. “I'm grabbing myself a Pitt, anyone else want one?”

“Yes!” Ty yelled immediately.

“I'll have one too!” Maude yelled. “You are the bestest of the best!”

“Why thank you!” Kenna said, piling the cans in her arms. She turned the corner and dropped one can into Ty's lap before handing Maude her can. She could clearly see the sparks and smog taking up most of the couch so she decided to stand and lean against the wall, slowly sipping her own can of soda. It was probably bad for her to be drinking soda this late.

“So, um.” Kenna decided to tell Maude about her personal research and theory, steeling herself and biting back her anxiety. “I have my own theory, kinda. I know it's not really my place to come up with a theory, this is nowhere near my field of study, but I like, had a hunch so I did some of my own personal research today, and it's not really my place, but I think it might hold some water, and I just. Yeah. I'll stop talking now.”

Maude laughed, lighting up warmly. “No judgment zone, Kenna. Besides, you're smart enough I'd definitely want to hear your hunches.”

“Okay, so I was thinking that this case is really... off, and this isn't normal demon behavior.” she began, her voice quivering but evening out as she got in the swing of it. “So, I started thinking, what could this be that doesn't show normal demon behavior.” Kenna paused to breathe and reorganize her thoughts.

“You're actually on to something really interesting.” Maude said. “I think I'll have my team help you look into that, thanks for the input. But, I get the feeling you have more. Spill girl!”

“I think the Dreambender is behind it.” Kenna said, the words bursting out of her like a waterfall. The room was silent. “I mean, think about it. The Dreambender rarely acts like a normal demon, and he certainly would be able to accumulate this much energy. It all makes sense. This is even in character for him!”

“Except it's not, really.” Maude said, “Look, I'm playing devil's advocate here, probably a bit more literally than most people mean. During a bad time in the cycle, yes this would be perfectly within character of the Dreambender. But this is a good time in the cycle.”

“How do you know that?” Kenna asked. “There isn't any proof of that, besides, didn't you hear about that cult he brutally murdered in Cincinnati? They thought the walls were painted red before they realized it was blood.”

“I heard there was a child human trafficking ring involved in that case. You know he has that _thing_ about children.” Maude said, breathing in deeply through her nose and out loudly through her mouth. “And he has a Mizar with him right now, Mizars are always key markers that it's a good time.”

“The Mizar cycles are usually much shorter though, even shorter than the average human lifespan.” Kenna pointed out. “And usually he acts out more once she's dead.” Kenna, luckily was one of the ones who subscribed to the theory that Mizar was merely a human who was close to him going through the reincarnation cycle. Thank goodness.

“This Mizar has only been for, like, five years so far.” Maude scoffed.

“Risky job.” Kenna countered. “Besides, this Mizar has been more... unhinged than others in the past. I hear some have started calling her The Unkillable.” Kenna laughed, “Kinda like someone we know, huh?” she asked, referencing Maude's nickname around the office.

“Don't even joke like that man!” Maude laughed, but her sparks shook with trepidation. “Okay, but back on topic, normally the Dreambender leaves behind some sort of obvious calling card, or at least he doesn't go out of his way to hide his presence. This demon here definitely went to great lengths to hide their identity.”

“And that was what had me stumped.” Kenna said, “Because you're right. But then in my research I found some logs from an old police force, that like... worked closely with the Dreambender but like, against their will. He kept playing tricks on them. I think this might be a situation like that.” Kenna smiled brightly, proud of what she had put together.

“You're right.” Maude said. “I mean, time and investigation will tell who the real culprit is, but for now that is a solid theory, I mean, that's a mighty leap of judgment you made at the end there, but it's logical. It's better than anything I've come up with at least. How about you type it up in a report and submit it so we can have it officially documented and looked into.”

“I'll get onto it!” Kenna said, bouncing and running straight into that wall. “Hah. Wall.” she said belatedly, shifting to the side a little to go into the bedroom.

Maude glanced at Ty out of the corner of her eye. “I trust you.” she said before walking away too, going to take a shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again it has been a long time between updates... but hey, all it took was a hurricane trapping me inside all day to get me to pump out a chapter. I promise I will finish this thing eventually. but now I've got school again. sorry


	5. Did I Miss Something?

Kenna woke up in the middle of the night to screaming. “Maude,” she grumbled, turning over in bed and wrapping her pillow around her ears. “Stop watching horror movies in the middle of the night.” then she realized she wasn't wrapped in her normal soft blanket.

“Maude?” she sat up, the stiff hotel room comforter falling off her shoulders and faced Maude's bed.

“What?” Maude asked, also sitting up in bed, her sparks spinning slowly. She yawned, loud and long. “What's that yelling from?” her sparks began to wake up, spinning in dizzying circles.

“You look out the window and I wake up Ty?” Kenna suggested, swinging her legs over the bed and slipping her feet into her slippers.

“Okay.” Maude said, standing up and walking past Kenna's bed to peek out the window. “Make sure to get dressed when you're done waking Ty. I'm sure we'll be called on the scene of whatever this is ASAP.”

Kenna walked out the door, and stared to the right, where the couch should be. Then she looked to the left, where the kitchen should be. Then she turned back into the bedroom, where Maude was looking out the window.

“Am I crazy, or is Ty AWOL?” she asked, catching Maude's attention. Maude groaned loudly, and the curtain scraped shut again.

“He's AWOL.” Maude confirmed, poking her head out the door as she put on real pants, doing a jumping shimmy. “Send out a mass message to the team, do not give up until they all respond. Get them awake and ready to roll out.”

“Yes sir.” Kenna rubbed at her eyes and walked back into the bedroom, grabbing her phone off the bed. In between messages she put on her real clothes, and she could hear Maude finish getting dressed and turning on the TV, cranking up the volume.

“... the supposed terrorist has taken hostages with him back into the building...” the anchorwoman on the news was saying.

“Well crap.” Kenna muttered, sitting on the couch while she adjusted the configuration of her Sensor Suit. She could hear sirens outside.

“... gunshots have been heard, and police can confirm that there are at least three men down, though they are unable to get emergency services there at this time.”

“Well, I'm gonna make some of the crappy hotel coffee, want some Kenna?” Maude asked, standing up and sending her own couple of messages into the group chat. At this point, everyone was awake and in various stages of getting dressed and figuring out what was on. They could hear another news caster talking on the other side of the wall.

“The caffeine pills are in the silverware drawer.” Kenna said.

“Why the silverware drawer?” Maude asked, opening random drawers until she found the right one.

“It was the first one I touched.” Kenna shrugged. “It works.”

“And it looks a bit like we're trying to smuggle in drugs.” Maude said, watching the coffee slowly pour into the pot.

“That's not my problem. Besides, I can fight back those charges because I'm awake.” Kenna said, cracking her knuckles and turning up the volume on the television.

“We're gonna get noise complaints.” Maude said, sitting back down next to Kenna with two mugs of coffee.

“This whole floor is made up of the demonology squad. If they aren't already awake then shame on them.” Kenna took a long drag of her coffee, drinking it loudly and cringing when she was done. “Black as night and hot as hell, just the way it should be.”

“I love how you always say that right after making the most disgusted face.” Maude laughed, taking a much more manageable sip of her coffee.

“I don't really like coffee, it tastes like some one ran water through dirt and tanbark, but it wakes me up.” Kenna took another huge gulp.

“I actually enjoy it.” Maude said, taking a dainty slurp.

“You're a freak of nature, now shush.” Kenna said, and they returned their attention to the tele.

“Wait...” Maude muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Kenna to hear. “Where is this hostage situation taking place at three in the morning?”

Kenna's head snapped around, eyes locking on something just over Maude's shoulder. Realization spread across her face. It took Maude another minute to realize that this wasn't Kenna's usual almost but not quite right eye tracking. She was looking at something.

Maude turned around, looking at the door just behind her. Where there should have been light, under the door around around the edges, there was shadow. Molten, moving shadow.

“Kenna, I'm gonna go get my gun.” if her voice was raised an octave, no one cared.

“Mine too please.” Kenna whispered.

“Okay,” Maude said. Kenna hates using her gun. The last time Kenna touched a gun was... not a good incident. And a long time ago.

She slowly stood up and walked into the bedroom, grabbing her bedazzled rifle, and sliding her smaller handgun into her hip holster. Kenna's gun was mixed in with Maude's things, the blue gel grip shining dully in the dim light.

The red and blue lights flashing outside cast everything in a chaotic light.

Kenna was still frozen, her eyes locked on something only she could see near the door. “It hasn't moved.” she whispered, holding out her hand for her gun.

Maude handed it to her, and clicked the safety off her own rifle. The screen lit up red, with a yellow lightning bolt glowing in the corner to show it was on stun mode. “Will stun be...?” she began to ask.

“No.” Kenna cut off quickly, still staring at the door. From Maude's angle, she could see under Kenna's hair which was still covering her right eye. It was squeezed tight, and she was beginning to cry more than a bit.

Maude tapped on the screen, pressing her thumb into the reader, and the yellow lightning bolt turned into a black dot.

Maude hugged Kenna with one arm, using the other to steady the gun at her target. “Don't worry, we'll be...”

“Duck!” Kenna screamed, and bent over, covering her neck like a tornado was about to rip the roof off.

Maude followed her example, one arm still holding her gun to the door, and she didn't get the back of her neck covered a moment too soon as the door exploded into millions of woodchips. She was too well trained to scream, and Kenna was too frozen with fear.

Kenna's not made for this. She was always the runt of her family, the blind one, the nonathletic one. Her place was in the lab, studying, not out on the sports field with her sisters. Not in the middle of a room where a fight was about to go down.

Maude began chanting as soon as the door exploded, smacking one of her rune stickers into the center of Kenna's back. “Hide.” she whispered as soon as she was done, shoving Kenna away and peeking around the couch, holding her gun at the ready.

“Good morning ladies!” a voice called. There was a man standing in the open doorway. He was smiling, a deranged look in his eyes as he waved a gun around. “I want you downstairs in five minutes! No dawdling, and don't try to skip or hide! I'll know~!”

He looked normal, somewhere in the forties, maybe fifties. He had a beer belly and a balding head, wearing a tactical vest and hiking boots.

He left as suddenly as he came, running down the hall to the elevators. All the other rooms in the hall already had busted down doors.

“How did we not notice?” Maude muttered to herself. “Kenna, you're good to come out now.” she said over her shoulder.

“Is he gone?” Kenna asked, peeking around the edge of the couch.

“Along with our door.” Maude grumbled, looking out into the hall. All the other NMII agents were there, in various states of dress and armament.

“That was weird.” Aaliyah said. She wasn't a member of Maude's team, she was a human-criminal psyche specialist. But still she recognized Maude, and knew that this was somehow related to demons. “He didn't pay attention to any of us.” she said.

“I waved a gun in his face and he didn't react.” Rocket agreed, standing behind her. The two were a married couple.

“I'm like, ninety percent sure he was possessed.” Kenna said, now standing behind Maude, one hand clenching the back of her shirt.

“Really?” Maude asked, turning to Kenna.

“Yes, he had this... shadow, hovering over his shoulders. It was constantly moving and the color of malice.” Kenna said, illustrating waving motions with her hands. Aaliyah and Rocket looked confused by the comparison, but Maude took it in stride.

“Well, I agree with you that sounds an awful lot like a possession.” Maude said. “Not quite sure what we should really do about it, though. I don't have the necessary time or materials for a full scale exorcism.”

“Well,” Aaliyah said, “Maybe we should just all go down there guns blazing? He didn't really seem to notice them before.” Rocket standing behind her shrugged and hefted his comically big gun on his shoulder.

“It's as good an idea as any.” Maude agreed. “Yeah, tell start spreading the word to everybody to show up downstairs armed to the teeth. Also, wear anti-demon gear. That might be a bit handy.”she cracked a smile at the end.

“I would've never guessed.” Aaliyah muttered, but Maude wasn't able to tell if it was a response to the sarcasm, or a response to her demeanor.

Maude ran back into the room quickly, pulling on her anti-demon headband, expanding it into a full helmet and pushing the plexiglass out of her face.

“You ready to go Kenna?” Maude asked, reaching out and grabbing Kenna's shaking hands. She had grabbed Kenna's purity necklace, and wrapped it around her neck for her. She gently brushed Kenna's hair, combing the strands behind her left ear, and making sure the curls were firmly centered over her right eye.

“Maudie.” Kenna grabbed her hands tightly. “I'm scared. Really scared. It feels like I'm being kidnapped.”

“No, you're being held hostage. There's a huge difference.” Maude smiled. “You'll be all A-okay. I promise, I'll be right by your side the whole time.” 

“You'd better be.” Kenna shrunk back, clinging to Maude's shirt. Her knuckles were turning white.

“Now let's go kill this baddie.” Maude smiled, hefting her gun with a snap.

“I don't think it's supposed to make that noise.” Kenna giggled.

“I added maracas to the end of it!” Maude smiled, clacking the maracas together again. “It makes me look bad ass.”

“No, just nerdy.”

“Can you not let me have one minute.”

All the NMII agents arrived in the lobby at about the same time, all armed to the teeth just like Maude had asked.

Maude took the head of the mass, standing in the center with Kenna standing by her side, clinging to her shirt still.

“Oh, goodie me!” the man shrieked, almost jumping in joy. “Now we can start, yes? This is going to be a good day, yes, a very good day indeed.”

There was a policeman on the ground, blood leaking from a bullet wound in his side. His gun had been taken from him, so now the gunman had two guns, his own pistol and the police's pistol.

“Can't the police remotely deactivate their guns or something?” Maude said aloud to one of her coworkers, not caring if the crazy man heard her.

“They can.” Ana replied, her gun trained on the man already.

“No they can't!” the gunman sang. “I can hear you, you know.”

“I was beginning to wonder.” Maude said back, smiling cheerfully. “What's your name?”

“What are you doing?” Kenna whispered, twining her fingers in Maude's shirt.

“Wesley.” the man grinned. “You?”

“Belle.” Maude lied flawlessly. Or rather, she mingled half truths together with white lies. “So, Mister Wesley, what makes you say the police can't remotely deactivate that gun you've got there? I'm sure they have the technology.”

“To deactivate the gun, yes Miss Belle.” the man smiled, he was missing a few teeth. “They certainly are able to turn off this gun here. But, you see, they don't have enough power to break through my special force field.”

“Force field?” Maude asked, looking around her, the others following suit. Maude couldn't see anything fishy, but she could hear Kenna's gasp of surprise, and feel her fingers tighten, almost ripping holes in her shirt. “Where did this force field come from?” she shifted her weight to one leg and held her gun at a ready position. Her other hand went to pry Kenna's away from her shirt.

“Well, you see Miss Belle, I've got friends in high places, you know?” the man sauntered to the check in counter, lounging on the crystal top.

“I know very well.” Maude said, keeping just close enough to the truth so that even if this man did have a magical lie detector of some sort, she would be clean. “Am I allowed to ask who your high friend is?”

“Ha, high friends.” the man laughed. “My friends don't do drugs, Lady!” he burst out laughing, and Maude could hear someone grunt in disgust. She herself merely grinned coyly.

“Only you then?” Maude barked back.

The man fell off the counter top, he was laughing so hard.

“I like you, Lady.” he said, sitting up. “And no, you're not allowed to ask.”

“Darn.” Maude crossed her arms. “It was worth a shot, wasn't it?”

“I certainly think so.” the man said. He paused for a moment tilting his head to the left and nodding a bit. “Alright, alright.” he grumbled, swiping at the air. “Sorry, but my friend up high's gonna kill me if I dawdle much longer. You understand the rush.”

“Of course,” Maude held up her hands, aiming her gun at him. “Well, don't let me get in the way.” she held up her hand in an 'O' shape, and all the NMII combatants surrounded the man. Kenna ducked behind Maude.

“Sure won't!” the man giggled gleefully, holding up his own pistol.

Maude felt the pain before she heard the gunshot. It hit her just below the knee, and boy did it hurt. She switched her raised hand to flip the bird and the man, and all the other agents in the room opened fire, the man had a bullet in his head and five in his torso before he could blink.

Maude cursed under her breath, suddenly finding herself sitting on the floor, her breathing suddenly ragged. She didn't feel the pain too badly now, but that would all change real soon. Cold was beginning to settle into her bones already.

Kenna was crying, her hands covering her face. Maude groaned and smacked a rune sticker meant for healing and pain just above her demolished knee. Her breathing evened out as the pain dulled to background noise.

Kenna was covered in blood, and amount that had Maude too wary to look down at her leg to assess the damage. She gently whispered assurances to her friend, checking to make sure that she didn't have any injuries of her own. Finding none, Maude laid back on the ground in relief.

A woman came rushing over to Maude and Kenna, holding a medical bag in one hand. Her face had gone pale white. She sat down in a rush, frantically tugging the bag open. Maude prided herself in knowing the names of nearly everyone on this mission, but her mind was too blurry to place a name to this face.

“Don't worry, she's just startled.” Maude said, squeezing Kenna's hand. “No need to be in such a rush.”

“Silly Maudie.” Kenna whispered, and Maude lit up. “You're the one who got shot.”

“Right.” Maude nodded, her eyes shining like she just remembered that. “How bad is it, Doc?” she asked both of them equally.

Kenna shrugged, her eyes flitting around Maude's head. The woman with the first aid kit passed a blanket to Maude for her to wrap herself in.

“That bad, huh.” Maude muttered to herself as she got cozy, rubbing her arms a bit to keep warm. It was New York, sure, but when did it get so cold?

“Ford, I'm gonna ask you to apply pressure right here please?” the woman asked, snapping Kenna out of her reverie.

“Of course.” Kenna put her hands on top of the woman's and began to squeeze Maude's leg. She ignored the feel of slippery flesh, the wet squelching sound, the-

She leaned away from Maude and vomited across the cool tile floor.

“Uh oh.” Maude said absently.

Kenna spit a couple of times in an attempt to get the bitter taste of bile and acid out of her mouth, though it didn't help much. “Sorry.” she muttered rawly.

“Of course she has a weak stomach.” the first aid lady muttered.

“Amelie!” Maude shouted suddenly. “That's your name! Amelie!”

“Yes it is, Bellafront could you please stop moving so much?” Amelie responded, putting on hand of Maude's shoulder.

“Sorry.” Maude said, pulling the blanket in closer to herself. After a moment of silence she shouted again “I'm a baby burrito!”

“Is she always like this or should I be worried?” Amelie directed this question at Kenna.

“She always acts like this when she gets hurt.” Kenna said. “She's a real silly-billy.”

Amelie sighed and rolled her eyes. “I'm gonna disinfect the wound, big sting.” she warned before dumping solution into Maude's leg.

Maude, in a testament to her high pain tolerance and the rune she had smacked into her knee, did not cry out, though tears began to leak down her cheeks.

Amelie began to narrate her actions aloud. “Next I'm gonna wrap the wound with some sigils on it to limit the bleeding and pain. It might be bad enough for a tourniquet. Why haven't actual medical professionals come in yet?” she shrieked the last line.

Kenna jerked her head up, and looked around. The only ones left in the building were those that were in it when the shooting happened. Normally Kenna could See out of the windows but she could barely See anything five feet away from her. The room was clouded with static like ambient energy.

“I-I think...” she muttered, then coughed and spoke louder. “I think that force field or whatever he was talking about is still around. It's just, like static?”

“Like static?” Amelie asked back. “Oh yeah, the Sight.” she muttered back, smacking herself in the forehead.

“Wait.” Maude said, her voice significantly less loopy than it had been. “Help is coming, right?” for the first time after her injury she began to look scared. Kenna had never seen her scared over an injury before.

Amelie just stared at Maude for a moment. “Ford, drag that coffee table over here would you? I'm gonna elevate her legs. Should have done that sooner, idiot.”

“Hey, you're good.” Maude said her voice still shaking. “Emergency training is nothing like the real thing.”

Kenna groped around for a bit to find the table, ignoring her usual griping about how she was blind and pointing didn't do anything, to slide it over to Amelie.

“Thanks.” Amelie said.

“Maude, I'm sure help will be here soon.” Kenna said.

Almost as if triggered by Kenna's words a sound like shattering glass thundered through the hotel lobby. Everyone shrieked to some degree, doubling over and covering their ears until the echoing stopped.

“What was that?” Maude asked, but no one answered.

Kenna stared in awe as around them bits and pieces of the static began to fade away, very slowly and very little at a time.

“Hey guys what did I miss?” and Tyrone walked in wearing silky pajamas and taking a swig of a cold can of Pitt Cola.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I like wrote the first 2500 words in a day after posting the last chapter... and then the next 500 words took like a month... ap classes are super hard yo, and add eight hours of band practice per week to that. I'm not okay, but I think this chapter is! ( I don't know I didn't really re-read it.)


	6. She's Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> she's hurt.

The can fell and rolled across the ground, fizzy liquid spreading everywhere.

“What did you miss?” Kenna shouted back at him. “What did you miss?! Where were you? What's going on here?”

“I... couldn't sleep so I went out for a walk... I don't know...” Tyrone stood stock still, hand still twitching where his soda can had been. His foggy mass writhed and roiled, confusion and anger blasting through it like lightning.

Maude's face broke into a bright smile. “We can talk about everything later. For now, I'm so glad you got here Ty!” her voice was strained and her sweat dripped down her face. She reached up and made grabby hands for Ty, and he sat down next to her on the other side from Kenna.

“Maude, what happened to you?” he asked, glancing down at her leg then back up at her face.

“I'm really living up to my reputation, you know?” she said. “I always get hurt. Some crazy guy decided to shoot me, but he missed and only got my leg! Don't worry, I'll be fine.”

“That's a lot of blood.” Ty commented, and Kenna lightly slapped him.

“Maude's always fine.” she said forcefully. “The EMTs should be able to come in soon. The barrier is crumbling.”

The blurry fog wasn't gone now, but it was in chunks with large shards missing. The police outside were banging on the doors, which were beginning to bend under the weight.

“Yeah, yeah.” Maude agreed, breathing heavily. “The first responders will be here soon, and they'll fix me right up. I'll be fine, don't worry about me.”

Ty audibly gulped, then said. “Yes, yes the EMTs. I'll wait for them, we'll be fine.” he smacked the ground with his fist, and the doors burst open. Men began streaming in, yelling orders into walkie-talkies. 

“Medic over here!” Kenna screamed, standing up and waving her arms.

“We got you miss.” a man's voice said, closer than Kenna had been expecting. She lost her balance and slipped, the ground was slick but she was purposefully not thinking about that. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine.” Kenna said, “Just scared. Her, she's hurt.” she pointed at the ground. “Maude Jane Bellafront. Twenty-six, she's allergic to kiwi, blood type AB negative, she's hurt help her.” Kenna whispered, pointing at Maude's dimming sparkles. There were other auras around her, Kenna didn't want to focus, couldn't focus, Maude was so dim, so far away, all the other colors were diluting the playful sparks, something's wrong, where's her leg. “She's hurt.”

“We will, we are don't worry.” a voice said, a different woman, she looked like frosting, said. “But you're panicking hon, please calm down.”

“She's hurt.” can't these doctors see that? Maude got hurt really bad and the doctors were ignoring that to focus on Kenna, but Kenna's alright it's Maude they should worry about, Maude's the one that got hurt bad.

“She'll be alright.” The woman assured. “I'm Jenny, what's your name?”

“McKenzie,” Kenna answered quickly, “but Maude, will she be okay, she was shot in the leg.”

“She'll be just fine Miss McKenzie. How old are you?” Jenny's voice was sugary sweet, but that only annoyed Kenna. Maude was hurt, who cares how old Kenna is.

“I'm twenty-seven, my birthday was this spring. Maude's birthday is coming up in a couple weeks.” Kenna said, still wringing her hands in front of her.

“What day of the week is it today?” the woman asked yet another useless question.

“I don't know, like Thursday? It's midnight I'm blind and my best friend is bleeding out—wait, where'd Maude go?” Kenna looked at the ground, now devoid of a sparkling presence. In fact, the only people present in the corner Kenna was sat in were her and Jenny.

“You were having a panic attack, dear.” Jenny soothed. “You needed to calm down a bit, better?”

“Not really, but I'm a bit more conscience.” Kenna said, “Where's Maude?”

“She's on her way to the hospital, with her, what was it, brother?, with her.” Jenny patted Kenna's shoulder. “Her wounds aren't anything our doctors can't handle. Don't worry. Do you get panic attacks often?”

“Tyrone Pines. He's our roommate, but he might as well be Maude's brother. They're really close.” Kenna said. “Often enough. Ever since I was little. I can deal with them.” Kenna looked away from Jenny, her soft and creamy aura suddenly stifling.

“Okay.” Jenny left it at that. “Do you want to go to the hospital now?”

“Yes please.” Kenna said, shakily standing up from her corner.

Jenny led her outside, where a police cruiser was waiting. Kenna was allowed to sit in the front seat, curling her legs up on the seat.

The hospital was a short drive away, it was a small town and Kenna had a feeling they weren't exactly obeying the speed limit. A few times Jenny tried to make some small talk, mainly at stoplights.

“So, Ms. McKenzie, what do you do for a living?” Jenny was tapping out a pleasant tune on her steering wheel, it was some rhythm Kenna had heard on repeat on the radio recently. The car turned to the left, gaining speed out of the stop.

“Forensic scientist.” was the short answer. People tend to get worried when they hear a little girl like Kenna works for 'that demon-investigation agency', and even more when they learned that Maude was a field agent.

“Oh, are you one of those magic-specialists that was called to handle that case down on McCarthy street?” Jenny asked, “That one's a toughie, I tell ya. But then again, I don't exactly know what I'm talking about.” she had a kind laugh, Jenny. The soft, disarming kind of laugh that passed no judgment.

“It is.” Kenna agreed. “Maude's a field agent. Team head, actually.” the car smelled clean, in a biting way. A bit like pine-sol. It hurt Kenna's nose a bit.

“That sapling?” Jenny whistled. “She must be somethin' else. I'll have to ask her for tips later! Boy, that lunatic sure choose a good hotel to hold up, didn't he?” Jenny turned to the left.

Kenna was able to sense the irony in that. But that made her think of the barrier around the lobby, which made her think of Maude's injury and how long it took for the first responders to arrive while Kenna was just crying on the ground--

“Do you know what this song is called?” Kenna said suddenly. “I've heard it everywhere.”

“I'm not exactly sure actually.” Jenny laughed, “My kids love it though, they never stop singing it around the house.” apparently Jenny was the type to talk with her hands a lot, because her admission was followed by the a dull thud, and the distinctive sound of a phone hitting the floor.

“Aw, I'm such a clutz. Could you watch the light for me?” Jenny giggled, high pitched. She was embarrassed, it spread through her sugary sweet aura like ripples, the gentle plopping sound they make.

“No.” Kenna said.

Jenny had not been expecting that answer, and stuttered for a minute. Kenna could hear her jaw hit the floor.

“I'm blind.” Kenna explained, actually laughing a bit, while the woman stuttered.

“I couldn't tell!” Jenny said, and then the car behind honked at them. Kenna felt the car accelerate a bit faster than it should have, and hang a left. “You don't act blind. Like, with your eyes. If that makes any sense.”

“It does, don't worry. I get that a lot. It's a skill I developed, it helps a lot for professional work. This suit, I made it myself, it serves as a substitute for a walking cane.” Kenna puffed up her chest while talking about her suit. It was still her proudest achievement.

“That's amazing!” Jenny said. “I did think you looked like a bit of a robot, I will admit. And you made that yourself? How does it work.”

Anyone who knows Kenna knows one thing: never get her started about some of her projects, she will never stop talking.

“Well, it's like sonar, or echolocation, but with magic.” Kenna began, waving her hands in front of her, tapping on the glove box.

“It would be hard to work out a system like that, I'd bet.” Jenny commented, and the car banked left. “Does anyone on your team have the Sight? I'd imagine that'd make it much easier. Just a thought.”

“I didn't work with a team, it was just me. And Maude, but she was more of a cheerleader.” Kenna said. “And yes, I do have the Sight. It's what gave me the idea in the first place.”

“Amazing.” Jenny commented, then patiently sat through the rest of Kenna's rant, finally announcing, “We're here.” as she pulled left and began maneuvering around the parking lot until she finally parked.

Kenna didn't wait until Jenny was done even turning the car off, she opened her door, still cautiously but not as cautious as normal, and took off, feeling along the handrails until she reached the entrance.

The entry hall was loud, loud in every way possible. Loud people shouted back and forth, loud feet scuffed across the floor, loud auras stifled the room. It was chaos, and Kenna didn't like it, not one bit.

There was one particular aura, in the corner of the room. Roiling like the sound of water just about to boil over the edge of a pot, angry and nervous. Kenna walked into the bubble of nervous calm that had developed around him.

“Where's Maude?” Kenna asked, sitting in a seat next to Ty. “Can we see her?”

“Not until she's out of surgery.” he sounded miserable, tired and sad.

Kenna sighed and slumped next to him. Despite all the chaos of the day, it was still like three in the morning, and she hadn't gotten any sleep. Her limbs slumped at her sides like rubber hoses as she collapsed in the waiting room.

In a way, Kenna resented Maude, and this was why. Maude didn't care about her well-being, never cared if she got hurt. It wasn't even some sort of honor-induced heroism crap, however much Maude argued that it was. Maude just didn't care if she got hurt, didn't care that however much she got hurt Kenna got hurt so much more.

It always happened, at this point it was routine. Maude would get hurt, be rushed to the hospital. Kenna, her and Ty being listed as Maude's only family, would get called and ripped out of whatever they were doing at the moment to run to the hospital. Then they would sit in the waiting room for hours on end, periodic doctor's checkups until they were allowed to see her.

Maude's condition was a miracle more times than it wasn't. She was a fighter, Kenna knew that much, but she also knew the human body can only take so much. That one she knew from personal experience. Someday Maude's condition won't be a miracle. It will be a tragedy. She is a fire that is burning fast and bright, and someday will just be gone altogether. 

She wasn't calm in the waiting room, more she was in a state of panic and worry so intense that everything inside her shut down. The room had quieted down, the initial rush of the attack dieing into hushed voices of a waiting room, and occasional child's cry.

In the silence she could clearly hear Ty, his breathing beginning to verge on hyperventilation. Poor boy, Maude's gonna give him a heart attack before he's forty. From what Kenna could gather, he has problems with people leaving him, and he's so concerned and protective of Maude that sometimes it verges on creepy, and unhealthy.

“It's not your fault.” Kenna begins the usual dialogue.

“Of course it is.” he grumbled. “I should have been there.”

This is where Kenna should say, normally would say, 'So you could take the bullet for her? Or maybe the bomb?', but today she was feeling spiteful.

“Why weren't you?” she meant it to be a simple inquiry, but the early morning makes everyone's words harsher, and maybe she did mean to hurt him, just a bit. “When we woke up, and you weren't there. She was worried, angry scared. Where were you?”

“Out, at the twenty-four hour store, we were almost out of Pitt and ice cream, we needed more, and I decided since I was up.” he audibly shrugged.

“Really?” Kenna asked, “At like two, three, I don't even know what in the morning?”

“Weird schedule is weird.” was his explanation, and Kenna resigned to leave it at that.

“And how did you just appear in the lobby? Without the groceries you were meaning to get?” she continued her interrogation, even though she knew she should stop. Living with Ty came with certain secrets she was willing to ignore, but not at early in the morning.

“I stopped by the room.” Ty said, and Kenna could hear fabric moving as he rubbed his neck. “And, uh, magic.” he finished lamely.

“That was bad, even for you Ty. And you know what? I changed my mind, I don't even care anymore. Not about your weak story, about your 'magical' appearance in a room that was blocking all magic. I don't care. Just next time, show up in time to protect Maude.”

She was cruel and unfair, but it was exactly what she needed to say at the moment. Without saying another word to Ty, she stood up and found a vending machine. She was hungry, and had probably cried out all the water in her body earlier.

 

A couple silent hours later, they were told Maude was out of surgery. She was awake even. She had lost a lot of blood and would have a killer headache, the doctor told them, and she's on a lot of pain medication.

He stopped them again just before they entered the room, and this time the words didn't register in Kenna's mind, wouldn't, couldn't make sense.

Maude was awake but quiet when Kenna and Ty walked into the room. She had a blanket, but it was only on her torso, she had kicked it off of her legs. Leg.

Maude was just staring at her lower body, and it took a while for Kenna to realize that the gasping sound was Maude crying. Kenna sat on one side of Maude, and laid her head on Maude's gently shaking shoulder, Ty sitting on the other side of the bed.

“T'ey-t'ey took my leg.” she cried softly, her old stutter back again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is a little shorter than usual? But, it's the start of Thanksgiving, so hopefully I'll have more time to write in the next week
> 
> My school things are starting to calm down, my band went to the national competition in Indianapolis and it was really cold, but we made finals in the nationwide competition! we didn't do well in finals, but still.
> 
> so yea hopefully I'll write more, I have more ideas that I need to finish this story for, so that's motivation


	7. Boogieman of the Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery is quite bumpy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick note - I just posted some Kenna backstory (The Blind One)! it's not absolutely vital to this chapter (I don't think) but it sure gives a lot of context to things that happen.
> 
> (also - I hope Maude's dialogue is understandable. Tell me if it's not!)

Kenna fell asleep with her head on Maude's shoulder, and when she woke up Tyrone was gone.

“Good-good morning-ing, Kenny.” Maude whispered, her voice hoarse, and Kenna noticed that her stutter was still going strong. No matter, ever since first grade Kenna was the person who could understand Maude and none of that had changed in ten years.

“Good morning.” Kenna responded. “You could have woken me up, you know.” Kenna stretched, hearing her back pop in multiple places. “To save my neck at the very least, ugh.” she grumbled jokingly.

“It was-s nice-ice watching you-ou sleep.” Maude said, her voice weighed down like syrup.

“I've never understood that.” Kenna began to babble, “What's so interesting about watching people sleep? They don't do anything, just breathe. Maybe some people talk in their sleep a bit, but I know you don't.”

“Look-k cute.” Maude said, and laughed before groaning. “Ugh, I'm-I'm too hi-high.”

“Too high?” Kenna scoffed, looking at Maude's sedated sparks spin in lazy circles. “I didn't know there was such a thing as too high.”

“N-Not that you would-ould know.” Maude laughed. “G-g-g-ood girl.” she drawled.

“You either.” Kenna said.

“This-is-s sucks!” Maude suddenly shouted, tiredly angry. “I-I can't w-walk-lk, I can b-b-barely stay awake, I can't thi-think right, nd I can't ev-even talk-k right.”

“You can talk right,” Kenna said, “I can understand you just fine.”

“Th-e nurse didn't-t.” Maude grumbled sullenly. “'e-e look-ed confused-ed unt-until T-Ty tr-tr-translated for m-me.”

“Well, that's the nurse's fault then, now isn't it? I can understand you perfectly fine, and I don't even get body language clues, now do I?” Kenna crossed her arms and held up her nose. It worked, Maude giggled like a little kid.

“O-only au-auras-z.”

“And years of experience.” Kenna added onto the joke. “Anyways, don't feel bad about yourself. Never feel bad about how you talk. So, do you know where Ty ran off to?” it wasn't the most subtle way to change the subject, but Maude was on so many painkillers she probably didn't even notice.

“He-e we-went-t to g-get-get f-f-food.” Maude said. “S-said-said he was gonna-nna smu-smu-smuggle me in the goo-ood stuff.

“Awesome.” Kenna said, and quickly sent Ty a text to bring her food too, if it wasn't already too late. “So what have you been doing while I was asleep?” Kenna asked. “Other than watching me sleep like a total creep, of course.”

“T-tele.” said Maude. “R-r-reports on what hap-happened.”

Kenna hummed. “Have they been interesting?”

“G-guess-guess so.” Maude said. “I'm-I'm sleepy-y-y now. Gon-gonna sleep.”

“Okay.” Kenna said, “Goodnight.”

“Guh ni'.” and Maude was out like a light.

Kenna sat there, doing the exact thing that she had just said was boring, watching Maude sleep, her sparks spinning lazily. The door swung open loudly, making her breathing speed up as she whirled around.

It was Ty, his smoke expanding to fill the space he was in.

“You scared me.” Kenna said to excuse her reaction.

“Couldn't tell.” Ty laughed. “Is she asleep again?”

“Yeah. How long's it been since I conked out?” Kenna said as she stretched again. “I think I killed every single joint in my back.”

“It's been about twelve hours, it's six in the evening.”

“Twelve? Man,” Kenna said. “I think the last time I slept like that I was in a medically induced coma.”

“It was stressful.” Ty said plainly.

“Yeah.” Kenna said. “Look, about what I said last night--”

“You were tired and scared.” Ty said.

“Right,” Kenna agreed, though she knew that wasn't enough said on the topic.

“I brought you food.” Ty said, “And stuff for Maude, when she wakes up again.”

“Oh, sweet.” Kenna made grabby hands in his general direction, “I'm starved. What did you get me?”

“An orange soda, hamburger and apple cinnamon cookies.” he handed her each part as he said it, and Kenna turned Maude's bed into a makeshift table. The soda was cold and crisp, and even the cookies were still in that perfect stage of warm and crumbly but not too crumbly.

“Where did you find these in a hospital?” she asked, crunching into a cookie immediately.

“I went to a restaurant across the street.” he said. “And you know what Maude says about eating cookies first.”

“I have been asleep in the hospital for half a day, cut me some slack.” Kenna said around a mouthful of cookie.

“Good point.” Ty said, silent.

“Uggh, your guilt is suffocating me! Stop it.” Kenna whined, and it was true. Ty's noxious gas of an aura was clogging the room with negative feelings that Kenna could almost feel in her lungs, weighing her down. “There's nothing that can be done.”

“I could have been there--” Ty began his rant.

“That's not what I said,” Kenna cut him off, “I said 'can'. Present tense. There's no point fussing over woulda coulda shoulda now. We just have to deal with the repercussions.”

“Her leg,” Ty mentioned.

“I had hoped it was some silly dream.” Kenna smiled. “But it's gone.”

“It had to be.” he said. “I was really torn up, that was a giant bullet, they couldn't save her leg.”

“Can it. I don't need the details. I assume she's getting some sort of prosthetic?” Kenna said.

“We haven't spoken about that. It's still too early.”

“I'm making it.” Kenna said. “I'm making her a prosthetic.”

“I can help.” Ty said.

“Of course.” Kenna said. “It'll be like our present.”

“Plresent?” Maude muttered.

“You're awake again.” Kenna commented. “Good morning.”

“It'th night-t-t-time.” Maude argued.

“Of course.” Kenna didn't bother fighting back. “And as for the present, me and Ty are gonna make you a prosthetic leg.”

“I want-t it to have-v-v a ROCKET launcherrrrr.” she said, flinging her arms out.

“Watch your IV,” Ty warned, sounding like the worried mother hen he was.

“Who c-c-caaaares about IVs when-n-n I can hav-v-ve a rocket launcher leg, Ty? A rrrrocket launcher leg!!!” she slumped back into her bed. “If-f-v I don't get one ob those, headth are gonna roll, Kenn-na. You hear m-m-me? Headth are g-gonna roll!”

“I hear you.” Kenna grabbed at the hand that had made its way to her face. “I assume it should also be blue?”

“Vloooo!” Maude crooned. “Yes, ver-r-r-ly much. I lub vlo.”

“Let's find some good TV to watch.” Ty butted in, grabbing the remote off the end table. He proceeded to hand Maude her Pitt and hamburger—still warm—and they settled in to watch the Dismay channel.

Kenna didn't remember falling asleep, it was probably around one of those two AM movies about a summer camp, but she did notice that she was the first to wake up. That was normal for her, first to fall asleep, first to wake up. According to her clock, it was two in the afternoon. Slowly, she and Maude were becoming nocturnal. Ty had already gone past the point of no return long, long ago.

She plugged in her phone and turned on a podcast to listen to while she began roughing out her idea for Maude's prosthetic. Maude had gotten her a special puffy pen a few Christmases ago, it was kinda like a 3D printer but a pen. When it printed the ink was extremely hot, but after a minute Kenna could 'look' back at her writing.

She had sketched out the basic shape of a leg when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called, mindful of Maude and Ty sleeping.

It wasn't a doctor that walked through the door, but someone else. Kenna recognized them, she knew she had seen that aura before, she just couldn't put a name and voice to it.

“Oh, they're asleep, I can come back later.” he said, and boots squeaked on the tile floor.

“No, don't worry about that.” Kenna said, putting her drawing pad down on the overcrowded bed table. “And, sorry, but I'm having trouble recognizing you? I know we've met recently.”

“Oh, right, I'm Jeff.” he said, “And yeah, I can totally leave.”

“No, don't bother, there's a seat over there, sit down for a bit.” Kenna suggested. “How've things been with yalls out in the real world recently?”

“Pretty chaotic.” Jeff admitted, and Kenna could hear him sitting down. “I don't think I've slept for more than two consecutive hours yet, and it doesn't help that a lot of the hotel was damaged by that madman. Then there's been paper work, and the chain of command has been scrambled so it's hard to get everything done.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” Kenna said. “That kinda sucks. Sorry the mission head's out of commission.”

“Oh no, it's fine.” he said. “Well, not exactly fine, I mean, she's hurt, but that's totally a reason to not be present. How have you guys been?”

“Sleeping mostly.” Kenna said. She put her hand on Maude's head, her hair was way more tangled than she usually let it get. “They've got her on some pretty good pain drugs, so things have actually been pretty hilarious recently.”

“Oh, um, okay.” Jeff said. “I don't know how to react to that.”

“That's fine.” Kenna said, “Maude gets hurt lots, though this is the worst she's ever had it. We're good at ignoring bad things until we've got enough time to properly break down and recover.”

“That... doesn't sound like a good thing.”

“No, it's probably not healthy at all.” Kenna said, “But it's tradition at this point. Oh, I know, let's wake up Maude! She's better at keeping up a conversation than me. And she's pretty high, it's fun.” she began to reach for Maude's shoulder. “Just... don't mention it. I think you'll know what when she wakes up.”

“Oh no, she needs her sleep.” Jeff protested.

“Nonsense!” Kenna said, “Maude's been sleeping for hours, she needs to be awake for a while, and she'll be glad you came. Trust me.”

“If you insist.”

“Maude, wake up.” Kenna said, shaking Maude's shoulder. “You've got a visitor.”

“T-t-tell Mac-ac-intosh to go 'way-y.” Maude grumbled and shoved her head into her pillows. “I-I dun care-re.”

“It's not Macintosh.” Kenna assured. “We're in New York, remember?”

“Right,” Maude said. “Th-then who is-s it?”

“I'm the blind one. Look for yourself, you lazy.”

Maude did, wiggling around in her bed much more than was necessary. “Oh, it's Jeff-f-f-f-f-f-f.” her voice trailed off, and Kenna could See she felt self-conscious. “S-so-sorry. How are you-ou?”

“I'm good, comparatively.” he said.

“Comp-p-pared to me-e-e?” Maude asked. “Well-ll, th-that's-s no comp-p-petition, I'm m-m-missing a leg. You l-l-look reall-l-ly tir-r-red. Are y-you s-s-sleeping-g? At a-a-all?”

“I've gotten maybe five hours of sleep recently. Including times I've dozed off while standing.” Jeff joked. His speaking sounded awkward, stilted.

“Is-s-s this y-your fir-first time vis-visiting some-someone at a hos-hospital?” Maude said, “Or-or did-id Kenna fthreaten y-you wit-th bod-bodily har-harm?”

“Maude!” Kenna said. “I am offended that you think I would do that!”

“Oh, re-really? Do-don't you remem-remember gra-grade school-ool at all-ll?”

“That was all Mickey and you know it.” Kenna argued. “She's the one who would beat up anyone anywhere, not me.”

“S-says you. You-you're the one-ne th-that c-carries a be-beating sti-ick ar-around wi-wi-with you.” Maude said, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

“I'll show you a beating stick,” Kenna threatened, extending her foldable cane with a sharp jerk and a snap.

“Ah, no!” Maude shrieked, and fell into giggles.

“This is so different from how I imagined.” Jeff said.

“Wha-what? Di-id you im-imagine it to-o be al-l doom and-nd gloo-oom.” Maude said. “If-if we were-re gloom-oomy every-very time som-som-someone got hu-hurt, we-we'd never be-e happy-happy.”

“I really don't know how to react to that.”

“Don't worry, you don't have too.” Kenna said.

“We-we have a com-competition.” Maude said, speaking slowly and enunciating carefully. “See who-who can find the wo-worst show. You wanna j-join?”

“I'd love too.” Jeff said, and he snatched a remote of the table. “There's one show me and my brother watched when we were kids, lemme see if I can find it.”

 

Kenna wasted no time in designing Maude's new leg. True to her word, there was gonna be a rocket launcher, right in the knee. It was also going to be made from a blue metal, which would be warm to the touch, as opposed to cold. She was also adding slots for the ritual knives and herbs that Maude insisted on carrying with her.

It was a pretty bomb prosthetic leg, and not just because of the bombs in the sole of the foot.

During this time, Maude was slowly weaned off the painkillers. At this point in time, painkillers were very rarely addictive, but doctors still tried to use them sparingly. So now, while Maude was definitely healing more and feeling better, she was in a bit more pain than before.

“I really like this,” Maude commented, tracing one of the lines in Kenna's sketch. “How will it move? Be connected to the rest of my leg?”

Maude, for her part, handled losing her leg rather well. Her first coherent reaction to looking at her stump while not completely high off painkillers was, “Oh shit.” a little while later she commented that “Well, I guess I'll just panic about this when I'm not in the middle of a life-or-death case.” Kenna could appreciate that kinda outlook on life.

“There's gonna be a like almost velcro strap further up on your leg, like here.” she pointed on Maude's body, “It'll read the signals that your brain is sending to your leg-because even if the leg's not there your brain still sends the signals. A little computing chip about, eh, this big will turn those signals into movements.”

“Sweet.” Maude commented. “Will I have to like, press a button to make the rockets fire and stuff? Or will that also be the chip.”

“No to both.” Kenna said, “I can't do it with your chip, because your brain never has and never will send your leg a signal to blow up. It's going to be a combination of thoughts and movements, kinda like a pass code, or combination lock. Also, the leg will have tech kinda like my Sensor Suit to give you physical feedback. You'll know if you stub your toe, sorry.”

“I'm gonna be the coolest cyborg ever.” Maude said.

“I know, I'm the best robot leg maker in the world.” Kenna said. “Just don't make me make a lot of robot limbs. I'm not a robot-scientist, and I don't want to become one.”

“You're so good at it though!” Maude laughed. “Don't worry, I don't have plans to lose any more limbs. So, when do you plan on having a prototype? The doctors said I'm gonna be ready to start practicing with a prosthetic soon.”

“Hopefully soon.” Kenna said. “I'm gonna check this drawing for errors, then send it off to the printers to get a prototype. I'm trying to have it be done by the weekend.”

“Nice,” Maude said. “And ETA for the final version? Also what day is it today?”

“Tuesday, I think? And ETA depends on how the prototype works.” Kenna said, “Don't worry, the prototype will be a fully-functioning prosthetic, just without all the bells and whistles.”

“So no blowing stuff up.”

“No blowing stuff up.”

 

“Kenna, guess what?” Maude said one day, after Kenna came back from a much needed shower.

“What?” Kenna said.

“No, you're supposed to guess.”

“Does it have to do with the snow?” Kenna asked. Maude had not shut up about it, ever since she woke Kenna and Ty with shouts about the snow, and how it was sticking so much. Apparently, there was no green left on the ground now, it was entirely white.

“The doctors said I can go out in a wheelchair to look at it.”

Maude had been sad recently. Her sparks were drooping and fizzling, even when she was happy. She never was the type to sit and watch things happen around her.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Ty asked. Out of seemingly nowhere he produced everyone's coats, Kenna didn't question it, she knew the answer would be magic anyways. Once everyone was bundled up to Ty's standards, they set to work transferring Maude to a wheelchair.

It was a clumsy set up, and they probably looked so ridiculous going down the hall. Maude was practically bouncing in her chair, wearing her coat and a big, fuzzy blanket tucked around her waist. She couldn't take her IV out, doctors were giving her antibiotics to make sure her leg didn't get infected, so she and Kenna both held onto the pole. Kenna couldn't wear her coat, the snow would damage the sensors, and it was useless with her coat on, so she was using the IV pole to guide herself, and used her cane mostly to make people get out of her way. To make it better, all of them were running, Ty pushing them faster and faster. He was, according to Maude at least, wearing shorts, despite how much he insisted that the girls be bundled up.

Kenna, as far as she could remember, had never been outside while it was actively snowing. Of course, she could probably count the number of times she had been in snow on one hand. She could feel the cold air blasting her face as she stepped outside, wet, cold splotches hitting her face and hands.

Maude instantly shrieked, of course, and nearly fell out of her chair trying to touch the snow. Kenna sat down next to Maude, running her hands through the snow and passing handfuls up to Maude.

It was one of the most peaceful days she'd had in forever.

 

“Good morning, Kenna.” Maude said, sounding like she was still asleep.

“Oh geez-” Kenna shouted, dropping her puffy pen on the ground and having to fish for it. “Good morning Maude.”

“Sorry for scaring you.” Maude laughed, leaning over to grab the pen herself. “Have you gotten any sleep recently?”

“I took a power nap like an hour ago.” Kenna said. “Also, Ty's out on a midnight grocery run. Because he's, and I quote, 'a normal human who buys groceries sometimes'.”

Maude cracked up as expected. “Kenna, you're the one drawing in the dark at three in the morning. I don't think you can complain about other people's sleep schedules.”

“I'm blind, I think I get an excuse. What's his?” Kenna said. “And I swear, you say magic, you're not getting this leg.”

“Nooo, you can't hold my leg hostage from me!” Maude laughed. “The things I never thought I would say at three in the morning are being said.”

“What an impressive moment.” Kenna said, stopping to rub at her eyes. She winced and gently dabbed tears off her cheeks.

“Kenna, are you okay?” Maude asked. “Do your eyes hurt?”

“Just stinging, not too bad.” Kenna said, picking up her pen off her lap. “It's nothing.”

“I haven't seen you take your meds since we've been in the hospital. You have been taking them right?” Maude asked.

Kenna hesitated, and that hesitation was all the answer Maude needed. “Kenna! Take better care of yourself!”

“I ran out, okay? This mission is running kinda long.”

“We're in a hospital. Ask someone to refill your prescription.”

“Fine, I'll do it in the morning.” Kenna said. “Happy?”

“Only if you do it where I can see you.” Maude said. “Also, go to sleep.” she took Kenna's lap desk and pen, putting them on the other side of the bed. “When you're tired you make mistakes and you're rude. So please sleep.”

“Glad to know you care about me.” Kenna smiled, and snuggled into the big comfy chair.

The next day, Kenna got her refill of her prescription. Maude carefully watched Kenna take her medicine and eat an apple muffin, and then Kenna was allowed to send the leg design to the print shop. They had a party that night.

The next day the prototype was ready to be tried out.

Kenna had Ty help hook up the prosthetic leg, securing it in place.

“Can you move your toes?” Kenna asked, placing her hand on the bottom of Maude's foot. She smiled when they began to move, slow and weakly at first, but then stronger.

“I thought you said it would be like your suit?” Maude asked curiously. “I can't feel your hand.”

“Not the prototype, sorry.” Kenna said. “Only in the final version, I'll have to make that in my lab back home. I don't have the supplies here.”

“Well, thanks, Doc.” Maude said.

“Maudie, you know how I don't like that.” Kenna said.

“Yes you do.” Maude said. “And besides, today you're helping me get back on my feet. Just like a med doc.” she laughed, and pressed her foot against Kenna's hand harder.

“Yeah.” Kenna said. “I guess I am. Now, let's test your other joints.”

Her ankle worked fine, her knee worked fine. Everything looked great. Maude's sparks were spinning wildly, becoming almost like a thunderstorm in intensity. Ty's smog was roiling the fastest it ever had, almost churning into flames.

“Let's get you on your feet.” Ty said, and Maude agreed.

She stood up for the first time in a week, maybe more. Ty and Kenna were holding her up, and she was leaning especially heavy on Ty, who was holding her by the good side. But she was supporting some of her own weight, she was standing. Slowly she began shifting her weight between her feet, until she was even.

“It works.” Maude was crying, so happy. “Thanks, Kenna.”

“You haven't even started walking yet. Come on, let's start with your left foot.”

They shuffled across the room, making it from one wall to another. Maude had almost overbalanced a couple of times, sometimes she hadn't bent her knee enough, or moved her ankle enough and almost fell. But it worked. She walked across the room.

“With any luck, I'll be able to get back to work soon.” Maude said, and Kenna froze.

The mission seemed so far away, right now. It seemed like an eternity again they had been wandering around in that home, brainstorming ideas, identifying possibilities. Getting injured. Held at gunpoint, Maude getting shot, lying on the floor in a puddle of blood-

“I think you should sit out for the rest of this mission.” Kenna said.

“What?” Maude asked, nearly overbalancing and falling backwards. She sat down on the side of her bed and Kenna stepped back, feeling an odd emotion, some parts shame, some parts fear. “Kenna, we haven't figured anything out yet, I need to keep going. Now I can walk again, I can help again.”

“I don't think I need to remind you, but you got your leg blown to hell.” Kenna scoffed, and Maude stopped short. Kenna was too much of a goody-goody to ever curse, even in high school when everyone cursed like truckers.

“I did, and that's a common danger of this job, and besides I don't think it was related.” Maude assured, “I need to help, there's something going on in this town, I don't know what it is but I need to know.”

“Like hell it wasn't related.” Kenna sobbed, and took a deep breath. “You can keep updated, you can help from here, just please I don't want you out in the field again. I don't want you to get hurt.” Kenna begged.

“Kenna, I wasn't even in the field when I got hurt, I was dragged out of bed.” Maude assured, and while Kenna understood that logic it didn't make her fear any less. “I need to keep more people from getting hurt.”

“You're people too!” Kenna cried. “I don't want you to get hurt.”

“But, Kenna, these are civilians.” Maude started, but Kenna was crying again.

“No, shut up! Let me talk!”

“Okay.” Maude sat back quietly, and Kenna sat down too, leaning up against the wall.

“You always get hurt Maude, it seems like every couple months you're in the hospital with something. I'm afraid I'm gonna lose you. Like you're going to go away, and never come back.” Kenna breathed deep. She was trying to communicate, remember all her tricks, speaking in 'I' statements, keep clear communication. Avoid conflict, and talk like adults. “I'm afraid you're gonna get hurt someday, when you're not young and you don't recover.”

“I have a dangerous job, but I'll recover.” Maude said.

“You're missing my point!” Kenna said, and took a deep breath to be able to talk normal again. “It seems like you don't even care. You're a dare devil, welcoming harm with open arms. That's one thing when you're climbing trees on the playground, completely different when you're in the middle of a shoot out.

“Do you even think? Of how me and Ty feel? Every time you leave, we don't know what state you'll come back in. I don't need my cane or suit to navigate the hospital at home, Maude. I have it memorized. I hate that. I hate hospitals, you know that Maude, I hate how they smell, I hate how crowded they are, I hate how helpless they make me feel. You know that, you've known that since elementary school. But do you think about that, every time you run headfirst into danger, and make me come to hospitals enough that I have the layout memorized?

“Do you know how guilty Ty feels? How truly guilty, how every time you're hurt he tears himself up, and I have to comfort him even though I hate it too, all because you just, rush ahead without consulting everyone?

“I love you Maude, but sometimes you're so stupid! I hate this! You're always like this and I hate it! I hate seeing you hurt!” she finally stopped to breathe, and then just let out a long, wordless scream.

“McKenzie, look at me.” Ty said, and Kenna realized then that she had shut her eyes. He was kneeling in front of her. “You need to calm down.”

“Okay, I just, sorry, just needed to get it out.” she reached up and brushed the sweat off her brow, the hair out of her face. She even pushed back her bangs, blinking her right eye to get the tears out of it.

She screamed, and if she could have gotten any closer to the wall behind her she would have, pressing into it and wishing she would just clip into the wall itself. She scrambled along the wall until she hit the wood of the door.

Because, with her right eye, she saw monsters. And there was a monster in front of her.

Screaming, crying, a biting pain across her stomach. “You may want to look away,” But no one covered the blind girl's eyes, no one thought to. A spinning, dancing demon, a sea of colors, blue fire attacking her eyes and it hurts it hurts it hurts.

A demon was kneeling in front of her, his body black and gold brickwork, an eerie smile on his face. Danger, danger, he's dangerous. Every part of her screamed to run away, but every part of her was to frozen in terror to do anything. The Dreambender, her right eye whispered. The Dreambender sat before her.

“Kenna, are you okay?” asked a small voice, exploding like pop rock candy.

The figure on the bed was not to be trifled with. She was small, petite, and completely black. All except for her face, where a grotesquely large smile was carved out in bright silver, and above that, on her forehead, an insignia of stars. Mizar. The current Mizar, the killer Mizar, the unhinged Mizar, the unkillable Mizar.

“Kenna?” repeated Mizar. “Are you okay? You're scaring me.”

She began to move forward, come even closer.

“Don't come near me!” Kenna shrieked, terrified, desperate. “Monster! Don't come near me!”

“Kenna,” Mizar sobbed, and stood. She took a few wobbly steps towards Kenna before she toppled over like a toddler. “Kenna, what's wrong?”

“Monster,” Kenna repeated as she stood up, her hand eventually finding the door knob, and she tore out like the devil was on her tail.

Maude was in a crumpled heap on the floor, clinging to Ty and sobbing that she didn't even know what she did wrong.

Kenna ran until she heard cars honking after she almost tripped off the curb. She sat on the curb and cried, bawling her eyes out.

How could her best friends be the boogieman that had chased her since first grade?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took time, again, but I really like how it turned out! Hope you enjoy! Tell me what yalls think!


	8. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things happened.

Maude gaped at the door long after it slammed shut, and Kenna’s flustered footsteps disappeared down the hall. Her sobs faded to confused hiccups.

“Al?” she asked eventually, voice popping and cracking. She turned around to face Alcor who was sitting on the bed behind her, his face completely unreadable. “What was that?” she asked, “What happened?” she began to hyperventilate, to cry again. “Why was she so scared?”

Alcor picked her up and carried her to the bed, summoning her favorite blanket to wrap her up. He didn’t have a good answer for her, and she was bawling too hard to be able to hear him at all.

Sobs turned to hiccups turned to sniffles turned to red eyes and a runny nose. She shamelessly used her blanket as a hanky, burying her face in the soft blue. Kenna bought it for her because it had a nice texture, and was big enough for all three of them to fit under.

“Seriously.” Maude said when she had calmed enough to speak coherently without bursting into tears again. “What was that? What happened? Why would she think I’m a monster?” she curled up into a little ball and played with a single strand of hair that fell into her face. She looked little and lost.

“So, um…” Alcor looked away, “About her Sight…”

“She sees little people, right? In her right eye?” Maude said, “And magic a bit more intensely than normal?” she tensed as Alcor did.

Alcor actually winced with his whole body. “Not quite.” his voice was quiet and pinched. He wrung his hands and looked around the room before speaking again, “So you know that time she got kidnapped a bit ago?”

“Twenty years, yes.” in any other situation, Maude would be amused that twenty years was ‘a bit ago’. But this wasn’t amusing. “It left her scarred for life. She still wakes up with nightmares.”

“Well, that was me.” he looked panicked, “Wait no, not the kidnapping part! The scarring part!”

Maude raised an eyebrow and gave him a moment to take his foot out of his mouth. Her sniffles kinda ruined the effect.

“So, they summoned me and I got a bit angry because hurting children is n̡ot͘ c̢oo̶l͝, you know?" he rubbed his neck. “And I, well, I might have gone a bit overboard.”

“Define ‘a bit overboard’.” Maude said. Thunder cracked in the distance. Kenna hated loud sounds.

“This happened before I met you, before I chilled out a bit, right.” he looked at the ground, at the wall, anywhere but Maude. “I went a little berserk and now she can see souls?”

“Is that a question?” Maude took a deep breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Smell the flowers, blow out the birthday candles. It wasn’t working.

“Not really.”

A beat of silence.

Then, “I’m not mad at you. Please understand that, you did nothing wrong.” Maude said, “I’m angry with the situation.” she turned and began to beat at her pillow, screams dissolving into hoarse sobs.

“She thinks I’m a monster?” she whispered, “She’s afraid of me?”

“Not you so much as me.” Alcor tried to smile. “It’s just you have… a reputation.” he patted Maude on the back.

Maude didn’t feel any better. “I’m not mad. You didn’t do anything wrong.” she covered her face with her hands. “I just need to be alone. Please.”

“I - okay.” Alcor’s weight lifted off the bed, “I’ll just be going then. Feel better soon. Call me if you need anything at all, okay? I love you. Okay?” he kissed her on the forehead and disappeared.

“Thanks.” she whispered, before burying her head in her blanket.

It was pouring outside, just warm enough to not be snowing. The cold leached through the glass and permeated the whole room.

 

Kenna twisted her ankle as she slipped on the curb. All the adrenaline left her body as she sat in a lump and held her leg. Cars honked. She cried.

As her heart calmed she began to think, the bad kind of thinking that lead in circles, deeper and deeper into fear and panic. She shoved her fist in her mouth to keep from screaming, and in a feeble attempt to slow her breathing.

Answers. She needed answers.

But she couldn’t get any.

Because the only people who could give her answers were back there, back in that room and the very thought of going back into that building made her want to vomit up the bland hospital food she’d eaten last. Her heart raced faster, faster still at the very thought of going back to that room with - 

Mizar and Alcor.  
Maude and Tyrone.

They’d lied to her - how long had they been lying to her? Ever since they met? Ever since she sat next to Maude in first grade, ever since they became best friends? Had all their friendship been built on lies? Did the Maude she meet ever really exist, or was the nervous wreck of a child who couldn’t manage to say a complete sentence a lie?

She cried. Buried her head in her knees and cried. Choked and hacked on snot running down her throat and cried. Thunder cracked and rain poured down on her, and she cried. She shivered, soaked to the bone but she could only cry.

She was dressed for a lazy day in the hospital, sweats and one of Maude’s oversized ponchos. It still smelled like her.

And yet, the world kept moving. Cars whizzed down the street, idling at the light just a few meters away from her. Pedestrians rushed from cover to cover, shaking umbrellas. A little kid was splashing in puddles.

None of it bothered Kenna. The world let her panic in peace.

She wished something would distract her.

Then the rain stopped. No, not stopped. It still hit above her head, a dull thud-thud-thud. Windshield wipers still squeaked from the street. She was under an umbrella. Someone held an umbrella over her.

She looked up and saw a creamy colored aura, bitter with concern. That was it. Her hair was wet and plastered to her face.

“Oh my, are you alright?” the woman asked, and her voice was familiar. Kenna didn’t have the energy to place it. “You’re McKenzie, right? McKenzie Ford? I’m the one who drove you to the hospital when your friend got hurt. My name’s Jenny, remember?” 

“I’m fine.” Kenna tried to say, but it got caught in her throat and all that came out was a wet choking sound and another sob.

“Oh my, how is your friend? Officer Maude Bellafront, right?” Jenna asked, “I hope she’s recovered nicely?”

Kenna cried harder. “She’s well.” she whispered.

“Well thank goodness for that.” Jenny said, “Though I think that’s a bit better than can be said for you, my dear.”

“I’m fine.” Kenna lied again, barely whispering it out.

Jenny’s aura turned salty with compassion. “Come with me, it’s far too cold to be out right now, especially dressed like that. How about we go for coffee, there’s a nice little shop just down the block I love.”

Kenna shouldn’t have, but she let Jenny help her up, let her wrap a warm coat around her shoulders.

“This is my husband.” Jenny said, gesturing to someone that Kenna couldn’t See. “His name is Markus.” Kenna still didn’t see anything.

“Hello,” said a man, and Kenna was startled. She still didn’t see anything.

“Hello.” Kenna’s voice cracked.

“Are you okay?” he asked. It seemed like a stupid question.

“Enough.” Kenna said. Her nose was still running.

“Let’s go.” Jenny said, wrapping her arm around Kenna’s shoulders to guide her away. The coffee shop was just around the corner, and the door opened with a chime and a waft of warm air. It smelled like coffee, real coffee, not just the watered down hospital stuff.

Jenny guided Kenna into a seat, then sat across from her.

“I’ll go get our drinks.” Markus said, “Ms. McKenzie, what would you like?” he rested his hand on the back of Kenna’s chair, and leaned.

“Caramel latte.” Kenna said, “Thanks.” she followed it up. She could hear water dripping off her onto the floor.

“You’re very welcome.” Markus said.

It’s amazing how hard it is to tell people’s emotions when they don’t have auras.

“I’ll have my usual.” Jenny said, her aura lighting up, “Thanks, dear.”

“Of course.” Markus said and walked away. He was wearing heavy boots.

“So,” Jenny said, reaching across the table to grab Kenna’s numb hand. “Not to pry, dear, but what has you so worked up?” distantly, Markus was ordering at the counter. He sounded pleasant enough.

“Just a fight with my roommate.” Kenna said. She drummed her free fingers on the table top, until Jenny snatched that hand too.

“Bellafront?” Jenny asked, and Kenna nodded. “Just a fight? I don’t think just a fight would cause all that.” the coffee machine came to life, roaring loud enough to make Kenna jump.

“It got a little heated.” Kenna said. Jenny shifted in her seat, got closer, too close. She leaned away but her hands were still trapped. “We just both need time alone. To think.” think about fear and lies and- stop thinking.

“A little heated?” Jenny asked, “McKenzie, dear, you’re soaked to the bone! What could she possibly have said that was that bad?”

Kenna looked away and bit her lip. Condescending wafted through Jenny’s aura like sewage caught in the wind. After a moment of silence Jenny huffed and leaned away, letting Kenna reclaim her hands under the table.

Boots squelched across the ground. “Back with drinks,” Markus said, before heavily setting three cups on the table and passing them out.

“Thank you.” Kenna said, wrapping one hand around her drink and grabbing for her wallet with the other.

“Oh no, it’s on us.” Markus insisted, and Kenna put her wallet away.

The coffee felt nice, the warmth seeping into her hand, all the way into her bones. She almost felt human again.

“So, Ms. Ford.” Markus plopped into the chair next to Kenna. “What has you so shaken up?”

“A fight with my roommate.” she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. The coffee machine was still roaring, too loud. She could feel the thrumming in her chest, like an erratic heartbeat.

“What was this fight about? Must have been something big to leave you out in the cold like that.” Markus took a long sip of his coffee. Kenna could smell the bitter tang all the way from her seat.

Kenna stalled. She took a drink from her coffee, it scalded her lips and tongue. Just before it burned her taste buds off she noticed it was saltier than the coffees back home. Too much caramel. She wanted to go home.

“Just,” Kenna’s mind began to fog up. “She’s been keeping secrets.” she took a longer sip, scalding her throat with molten lava, but the warmth felt good in her chest. She coughed and put it back down.

“What kind of secrets?” Jenny’s hand found hers again, and she squeezed it tight.

Bells chimed. Coffee machines roared. Lights buzzed. Boots pounded. She felt trapped, the walls were closing in, all the sounds were too close, too close, she’s gonna suffocate- 

“Personal ones.” Kenna’s mouth felt weird. “I just… I don’t know it I can trust her anymore.” everything was happening to her through plastic, through plexiglass, it was all dulled, happening around her as she observed. She took another long drink of coffee. Her mouth moved again. “I’m scared.” she took another swig but the coffee was all gone.

“Oh dear.” and Jenny was next to her, thick frosting covering the right side of the world. “That’s not good.” she grabbed Kenna’s elbow and yanked her from her seat, supporting her weight. Why were her legs all jello-y?

“Do you need a place to stay the night?” Markus asked, and pure nothing was taking up the left side of the world. He grabbed her, a rough hand on her shoulder.

“No, I can go to the hotel,” she walked to the door, but then her arms were slung over his and Jenny’s shoulders. When did that happen?

“Don’t you remember?” Jenny crooned in her ear, “How the hotel was destroyed by that monster?” she guided Kenna to the door.

“And don’t forget the hospital.” Markus opened a car door, “They’ve infected the place.”

Kenna’s stomach dropped, though she had no clue why. Her head was full of cotton.

The air was cold, but the water on her cheeks was warm.

“We have a guest room at our house.” Kenna was pushed into a car, buckled in like a toddler.

“Please, allow us to take care of a friend in need.” a door slammed shut.

And then Kenna fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow! it's been a long time since I wrote something, it feels really good to actually get stuff done. I'm promising myself to actually finish this one, so no one let me forget!


End file.
